The National Democratic Alliance was leading the Opposition Mahagathbandhan in early trends as votes in the Bihar Assembly elections were being counted on Friday, according to reports.

As of 9.36 am, the Bharatiya Janata Party was leading in 33 seats and the Janata Dal (United) in 24. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) was ahead in eight seats.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal was leading in 20 and the Congress in five seats. Their ally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, was ahead in one.

A party or an alliance needs 122 seats in the 243-member Assembly to form the government.

The counting of postal ballots began at 8 am followed by electronic voting machine votes.

Several exit polls have predicted a win for the ruling NDA.

The first phase of polling took place on November 6 and the second on November 11. The provisional voter turnout was a record 67.1%. This was the highest polling percentage in Bihar since 1951, the Election Commission said.

Read Scroll’s ground reports from Bihar here.

The main contest is between the NDA and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance.

The NDA comprises Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), the BJP, Union minister Chirag Paswan’s faction of the Lok Janshakti Party, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and the Hindustani Awam Morcha.

The Mahagathbandhan comprises the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, the Vikassheel Insaan Party and three Left parties – the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – along with the newly-formed Indian Inclusive Party.

Former political strategist Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, which is not part of the two main alliances, is making its electoral debut.

The Opposition has projected RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate. The NDA has said that it contested the polls under Kumar’s leadership.

Kumar has been the chief minister for about 20 years, except for a nine-month period between 2014 and 2015.

In the 2020 Assembly polls, the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan ended up with an identical vote share at 37.2%. However, the NDA returned to power in Bihar with a slender majority, winning 125 seats in the Assembly. The Opposition bagged 110 seats.

The RJD had emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats but still lost the election.

Follow Scroll’s coverage of the Bihar Assembly election here.

📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC

Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting