Bihar Records Highest-Ever Voter Turnout as NDA Projected to Retain Power

Bihar witnessed a historic voter turnout on Tuesday, with a provisional 68.52% of electors casting their ballots in the second and final phase of the state’s high-stakes assembly elections. The polling, which covered 122 constituencies and around 3.7 crore voters, surpassed the 65.09% turnout recorded in the first phase on November 6. In several areas, queues remained long well into the evening, indicating that the final turnout could rise further.

According to Election Commission data, voter participation reached 67.14% in the second phase, with Kishanganj recording the highest turnout at 76.26% and Nawada the lowest at 57.11%. The first phase had seen 65.08% of eligible voters exercising their franchise.

Exit Polls Point to NDA Victory

Exit poll results released on Tuesday projected a clear win for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), while the opposition Mahagathbandhan is expected to fall short of a majority in the 243-member Assembly. The newly launched Jan Suraj party, led by Prashant Kishor, is not expected to make a significant impact, with forecasts predicting only 0–5 seats for the debutant party.

According to the People’s Pulse survey, the NDA is likely to secure 133–159 seats, with the Mahagathbandhan expected to win 75–101. People’s Insight projected 133–148 seats for the NDA and 87–102 for the Mahagathbandhan, while JVC forecast 135–150 seats for the NDA and 88–103 for the opposition alliance. DVC Research predicted 137–152 seats for the NDA and 83–98 for the Mahagathbandhan.

In the previous 2020 Assembly elections, the NDA had won 125 seats, with the BJP securing 74 and JD(U) 43. The Mahagathbandhan had won 110 seats, including 75 for the RJD and 19 for Congress.

BJP Confident of “Massive Majority”

BJP leaders expressed strong confidence in the NDA’s prospects, citing a “one-sided wave” in favour of the ruling alliance. BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told PTI Videos, “No matter what any poll says… The BJP-NDA is going to win the election with at least 160 seats. There was a one-sided wave in favour of NDA.”

Hussain added that women voters had turned out in large numbers to support the alliance and asserted, “We are fully hopeful that the BJP-NDA will win the election with a massive majority.” He further claimed that the NDA had worked tirelessly throughout the campaign, in contrast to the RJD and Congress, and dismissed Jan Suraj as “visible only on social media.”

With the conclusion of the two-phase polling, Bihar has set a new benchmark in voter participation, underscoring the high public engagement in the state’s crucial assembly elections.

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