As the counting of votes for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 proceeds, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has surged past the majority mark in the early trends, positioning itself to retain power in the state.
Notably, the Janata Dal (United) is showing early strength, with all its Muslim candidates currently leading in their respective constituencies.
Counting for the 243-seat Assembly began at 8:00 am with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counts at 8:30 am.
NDA Dominance In Initial Tally
The early numbers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) indicate a clear edge for the NDA, defying potential anti-incumbency sentiment against the longest-serving Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar.
NDA Tally: At the 10:30 am mark, the ruling NDA was ahead in a substantial 170 assembly seats, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 122.
Party Breakdown (10:30 am Trends)
The early trends from the Bihar Assembly Election results, as of 10:30 am, showed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossing the majority mark with a combined lead in 170 assembly seats.
Within the ruling alliance, the Janata Dal (United) was leading in 75 seats, closely followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with a lead in 72 seats.
Junior partners, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), were leading in 18 and 3 seats, respectively.
In sharp contrast, the opposition INDIA bloc, or Mahagathbandhan, was trailing significantly, leading in only 27 seats overall, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead in 41 seats and the Congress leading in 7.
JD(U)'s Minority Candidates Show Early Gains
A highlight of the initial trends is the strong performance of the Janata Dal (United)'s Muslim candidates, a group whose support is critical for the party's social arithmetic.
As of 10:20 am, candidates including Manzar Alam in Jokihat, Saba Zafar in Amour, Shagufta Azim in Araria, and Mohd Zama Khan in Chainpur were all reported to be leading in their respective constituencies.
The election, which saw a historic voter turnout of 67.13%, is widely regarded as a crucial test for the political durability of JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, who is now reportedly poised to secure the Chief Minister's chair for the tenth time based on current trends.
