Patna: Despite early trends indicating that the Congress is trailing, several party leaders asserted on Friday that a coalition government of the INDIA bloc is poised to be established in Bihar with a clear majority. Congress leader Devendra Yadav stated, “The trends we are witnessing today differ from the exit polls’ predictions, which we do not accept. A coalition government of the INDIA bloc is set to be formed in Bihar with a clear majority.” Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput commented, “In numerous trends, the Mahagathbandhan is leading. Why focus solely on the early trends? For two or three years, we have observed how trends can be influenced. The BJP and its ecosystem are attempting to sway these trends.
I have seen on various news channels that the Mahagathbandhan is leading. Democracy should prevail, not ‘Lokchandra’. The Election Commission of India should operate in accordance with the Constitution, not any political party. I firmly believe that the people of Bihar have given their mandate and will ensure the Mahagathbandhan’s victory.” All India Congress Committee General Secretary Avinash Pandey remarked, “The early trends have just started, and it will take time for the complete results to be available.
However, I am confident that, given the efforts of all coalition parties to uphold democracy, we will certainly succeed and form a coalition government here.” As the vote counting for the Bihar Assembly elections commenced, early trends from the Election Commission indicated a decisive lead for the NDA and a setback for the Mahagathbandhan. By 10 a.m., the poll panel reported the NDA surpassing the crucial figure of 122 seats while the grand alliance led in 42 constituencies. A significant point in the early trends was JD(U) emerging as the single largest party.
The counting for all 243 Assembly seats began at 8 a.m., starting with the scrutiny of postal ballots, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes from 8:30 a.m., conducted under strict multi-tier security across the state. As per updates from the Election Commission of India: By 10:30 a.m., the ruling NDA led in 172 seats — BJP with 73, JD(U) with 77, LJP(RV) with 18, and HAMS with four. The Opposition Mahagathbandhan was leading in 54 seats — RJD with 42, Congress with seven, and CPI(ML)(L) with five. Candidates from both alliances expressed confidence in their prospects.
NDA leaders claimed that the people of Bihar had expressed trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurances and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s contributions to the state’s development. The Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD, asserted that Bihar had “voted for change” and conveyed optimism that Tejashwi Yadav would form the next government. The counting process is supervised by 243 Returning Officers and an equal number of Counting Observers appointed by the Election Commission. Over 18,000 counting agents representing various candidates are present at the centers to closely monitor the process. Access to counting centers is strictly limited to individuals with valid passes, and the use of mobile phones inside counting halls is entirely prohibited.
The election saw participation from over 70 crore voters who cast their votes to determine the fate of both the ruling NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. The polling occurred in two phases, on November 6 and 11.
