Bihar: Clean sweep for NDA, Mahagathbandhan stares at worst performance
What's the story
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is headed for a clean sweep in the Bihar Assembly elections, with trends showing it ahead in over 200 seats. As of 3:00pm, the NDA was leading in 202 seats, with the BJP leading in 94 seats. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) is leading in 82 seats, Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha are leading in 21 and five seats, respectively.
Opposition standings
Mahagathbandhan trails, Kishor's Jan Suraaj concedes leads
The Mahagathbandhan, led by Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is looking at an embarrassing defeat. The RJD is leading in 25 seats, while the Congress is leading in just two seats. Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj, which was leading on four seats initially, has conceded its leads. Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM is currently leading on five seats with support from Muslim voters in Seemanchal.
Last election
2020 election result
If these numbers hold, it would be a drastic step back for the Tejashwi-led RJD, which finished as the single largest party in the 2020 state polls, winning 75 seats. However, the Congress underperformed, and the NDA formed the government. The Congress, which was allotted 70 seats, won only 19. The NDA, led by the current CM, won a majority in the 243-member Assembly, thanks in large part to the BJP's 74 seats. The JD(U) won 43 seats.
Key contests
Tejashwi Yadav faces tough contest in family bastion
Even in his family bastion of Raghopur, Tejashwi is trailing. Satish Kumar of the BJP was leading in this constituency by over 4,000 votes. It was the same Kumar who had defeated Tejashwi's mother Rabri Devi back in 2010. In another blow, the RJD leader's estranged brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, is trailing in his Mahua constituency by over 32,000 votes.
Voter turnout
NDA's performance mirrors 2020 trends, women voters' impact
The NDA's stellar performance is attributed to high participation by women voters. Bihar saw its highest female voter turnout in its history. The number of women who voted was 71.6%, while the number of males who voted was significantly lower at 62.8% The entry of Kishor's Jan Suraj Party was expected to cut into non-NDA votes, but it polled fewer votes than NOTA (None Of The Above Option).