Bihar elections: RJD emerges single-largest party

NDA is leading on 122 seats, MGB on 113

Patna:While the ruling NDA in Bihar was ahead of its rivals, RJD has emerged as single largest party, as per the latest trends.

The BJP appearing set to outperform its senior alliance partner JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, according to trends.

Election Commission’s website shows Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD, projected in exit polls as the clear winner along with other Grand Alliance partners, was leading in 75 out of the 144 seats it contested, while the Congress, which had fielded 70 candidates, was ahead in only 20 places. Among other partners of the RJD-led Grand Alliance the CPI-ML was leading in 12, CPI (3) and CPI-M (3).

As trends from all 243 seats became available, BJP candidates leading the table in 73 seats and the JD(U) in only 41. The NDA is leading on 122 seats. The BJP had contested 110 seats as against the JD(U)’s 115. A party or coalition of parties needs 122 seats for a simple majority.

Former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party, a fledgling outfit that joined the NDA just ahead of the assembly polls, may spring a surprise, having established a lead in six out of 11 seats it contested.

Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, which was expected to cause a major upset by pulling out of the NDA and fielding a large number of BJP and JD(U) rebels, has pulled a blank so far, but has polled 5.63 per cent votes.

Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM was ahead in five seats, BSP in one and Independents in two.

Despite looking set to emerge as the single largest party if the trend continues, the BJP has so far polled 19.2 per cent of votes counted so far against RJD’s 23.42 per cent.

However, the BJP along with partner JD(U) has so far pocketed 35.43 per cent votes against 32.13 per cent polled by the RJD-Congress combine.

Counting of votes has been tardy because of various protocols in place in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Election Commission sources said it may take longer than usual before results start pouring in.

HR Srinivasa, the state’s chief electoral officer, said that only 80 lakh of the close to four crore votes polled had been counted till noon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)