Close call for NDA, Grand alliance in Bihar
PATNA: Bihar Assembly elections looked too close to call on Tuesday night with the ruling NDA maintaining a slender edge over the RJD-led Grand alliance, winning 12 seats and leading in 109 others.
The RJD, the opposition alliance’s spearhead, overtook the BJP at the top of the table, clinching six seats and its nominees leading in 70 others. The BJP has won six seats and is leading in 67. NDA partner JD(U) has won four seats and is leading in 37 places, in a major slide for the party that had won 71 seats when it fought the 2015 assembly polls in alliance with the RJD. The VIP has won two seats and its candidates are leading in two more, while the HAM has won the Imamganj seat and is leading in two constituencies.
The NDA has won or is leading in 121 seats, just seven more than the Grand Alliance whose partners have won nine seats and are ahead in 105. RJD’s co-traveller, the Congress, has won two seats and its nominees are leading in 18 others, while the CPI-M has pocketed one and is leading in two. CPI-ML candidates are ahead of their rivals in 12 constituencies and CPI in three. If the current trend continues, the NDA could end up tantalisingly close to the 122 mark required for a simple majority, but there could be many a slip between the cup and the lip with the opposition alliance rapidly closing the gap. Not only has the RJD edged past the BJP in terms of numbers but also garnered more votes. While the saffron party has polled 19.39 per cent votes, the RJD clinched 23.43 per cent. Chirag Paswan’s party, which walked out of the NDA in Bihar just ahead of the poll, is set to fare abysmally as it has neither won nor is leading in any seat despite polling 5.63 per cent of the 2.70 crore votes counted so far. Sources said Tejashwi Yadav has won from Raghopur defeating Satish Kumar of the BJP but an official confirmation is awaited.
The EC said counting of votes would continue till late in the night.