Patna (Rajeev Sharma): Initial figures from Friday’s vote count in Bihar indicate that the National Democratic Alliance is edging ahead of its rival, the Mahagathbandhan, as the state awaits the final outcome of its high-stakes Assembly elections.
Counting teams began their work across all 243 constituencies under heavy security deployment. Officials reported that the examination of postal ballots was taken up first, before the sealed EVMs were opened around 8:30 a.m. The process is being conducted at 46 centres distributed across 38 districts.
This election, held in two phases, is widely regarded as a referendum on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s long tenure. Kumar, who leads the JD(U), has dominated Bihar politics for nearly two decades, making the result crucial for both his party and the wider alliance politics of the state.
As trends continue to emerge, both major blocs are closely monitoring the numbers, aware that early leads may shift as counting progresses.
