With only days left for the Bihar Assembly results, most exit polls show a big win for the NDA. Several surveys predict that the alliance will cross the majority mark of 122 seats in the 243-member House.
Polls by Matrize, P-Marq, People’s Pulse, Dainik Bhaskar, People’s Insight, JVC, and Poll Diary all give the NDA at least 133 seats. The ruling bloc includes the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
One survey stood apart. Journo Mirror predicted 130 to 140 seats for the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD and the Congress. It projected that the NDA would win only 100 to 110 seats.
BJP Celebrates Exit Polls
The BJP has welcomed the predictions with enthusiasm. MP Dinesh Sharma said the “clean-up” of the RJD and Congress had begun.
“The cleanup of Congress and RJD from Bihar has begun. This time's results will be the most surprising,” Sharma said. He claimed the NDA would win with a two-thirds majority.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the Opposition had already given up. “The Mahagathbandhan has already accepted defeat. What we have seen on the ground and the support for the NDA is reflected in the exit polls. Who will vote for those who say long live the mafia? There is support from women. There has been a big change. The women and Gen Z support and trust PM Modi and Nitish Kumar,” he told ANI.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha echoed the confidence. “This is an exit poll; we will go even higher in the exact poll,” he said. “People in Bihar want peace and social harmony, but RJD and Congress create frenzy. The people of Bihar have understood this. The NDA will form the government with a huge majority.”
Opposition Rejects Polls, Cites High Turnout
The Mahagathbandhan dismissed the exit polls, pointing to the record voter turnout. RJD MP Sudhakar Singh said the high turnout showed that voters wanted change.
“The high voter turnout is always considered as people’s mandate against the ruling dispensation. We must wait for the final result. I am confident that the Mahagathbandhan will comfortably form the government in Bihar. The exit polls are far from reality,” he said.
Bihar recorded nearly 69 percent voter turnout in the final phase. The overall turnout in both phases stood around 66 percent — almost 10 percentage points higher than the previous election.
Akhilesh Yadav Calls Exit Polls ‘Pre-Planned’
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also dismissed the exit polls. He called them “pre-planned” and “fake.”
“‘Jiska dana uska gana’ (Those who feed, people sing their tune),” Yadav said, taking a dig at the media. He reminded that exit polls during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were proven wrong when “big BJP leaders had lost along with the fake exit polls.”
Bihar Awaits Verdict on November 14
Voting in Bihar took place in two phases on November 6 and 11. The Election Commission will declare the results on Friday, November 14. The final outcome will decide whether the NDA retains power or the Mahagathbandhan returns to government.