Patna: With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) heading towards a landslide victory in the Bihar Assembly elections (as per trends around noon), Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) or LJP (RV) has thrown up a surprise by leading in as many as 22 seats.
Paswan, a Union minister, had sounded extremely confident before the polls and the NDA has allocated 29 seats to the LJP (RV). These are still early trends, but even if the party manages to bag 10 seats, it will be a remarkable performance by the young, charismatic leader, who happens to be the son of former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
The party has seen modest returns Over the past three elections. It won three seats in 2010, two in 2015, and only one in 2020, a performance that earned Paswan the “vote katwa” label.
The NDA, meanwhile, was cruising at noon, having crossed the majority mark. The Congress has already launched an agitation, calling this yet another instance of ‘Vote Chori’.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is likely to return to office for a record fifth term, has said: “Just a few hours of waiting, and the good-governance government will return.”
Trends reveal the NDA leading in 185 seats and the Mahagathbandhan on 54. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the single largest party till now with 85 leads, while Nitish’s Janata Dal (United) is ahead in 76 seats. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is leading in 34 seats.
The majority mark in Bihar Assembly is 122 seats. Bihar voted in two phases – 6 and 11 November and recorded one of its highest voter turnouts in Bihar’s history.
The NDA sought a return to power, banking on the two-decade-long rule of Nitish Kumar in the state and the 11-year rule of the PM Narendra Modi government at the Centre. The Mahagathbandhan or INDI Alliance sought votes on the basis of anti-incumbency, misgovernance, and job promises.
Mahagathbandhan CM face and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has warned of unrest if the elections don’t go in its favour.
Most exit polls predicted a win for the ruling NDA, with one projecting a close fight. If the present trend persists then the exit polls will again be proven incorrect – this time for predicting lower numbers.