PATNA: The NDA was leading in 166 assembly seats, surpassing the majority mark of 122 in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, while the opposition INDIA bloc was ahead in 56 constituencies, prompting rival camps to assert confidence in their prospects.
BJP MLA and party candidate Sanjeev Chaurasiya said that the alliance was confident of retaining power.
“The NDA will form the government in Bihar again. We will win with a very good majority. People of Bihar trust the double-engine government. And the fact that not a single booth has required recounting, which only proves the ground situation,” he said.
JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, also speaking to PTI Video, claimed that the early trends reflected public endorsement of the ruling coalition.
“Just as the sun rose today, Bihar will also shine brighter and move forward. It will not move towards destruction,” he said.
He said the mandate would reject those responsible for creating “social tension”.
“Those who spread crime and social tension will be reduced to ashes in the heat of the people’s mandate. The public will give us the inner strength to continue the work of development, and they will reject destructive forces,” the JD(U) leader said.
Congress MP Manoj Kumar said people in the state were looking for political change.
“People will surely bring change in Bihar,” he said, adding that early trends were not an accurate reflection of the final outcome.
“The sentiment for change that we saw across the state is strong. Early trends never reveal the whole picture,” he said.
At the RJD office, party leader Mrityunjay Tiwari told PTI Video that his party expected the trends to shift as counting progressed.
“The initial trends show a close contest. But in many places, the Mahagathbandhan (INDIA bloc in local parlance) is ahead. Within one or two hours, it will be clear that we are forming the government in Bihar. We are fully confident.” The JD(U) spokesperson attributed the NDA’s early leads to schemes introduced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
“Nitish Kumar ji will remain Chief Minister as long as he wishes. His will, the people’s aspiration and the NDA’s resolve are aligned,” he said.
Responding to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s assertion that “change is certain”, Neeraj Kumar said the opposition had repeatedly made similar claims in recent elections.
“His father has been claiming that they are coming to power since 2005. What happened? In 2019, they conceded a defeat. In 2020, a grim defeat. In 2024, a decisive defeat. Defeat after defeat. Which leader will accept a wrestler who gets pinned to the mat every time?”, the JD(U) leader said.
On Tejashwi’s late-night message warning officials against alleged irregularities, the JD(U) leader dismissed the remarks.
“If there is any complaint, go to the Election Commission. It is a constitutional institution. Politics is not done through Twitter or Facebook. Comfortable, air-conditioned politics does not build opposition movements,” he said.