The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gained a slight advantage over the INDIA bloc, also known as the Mahagathbandhan, when counting for the Bihar assembly elections began at 8 am on Friday. The initial trends showed both alliances locked in a close contest across several constituencies.

By 9:00 am, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was leading on at least 68 seats, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was ahead on over 58 seats. The Mahagathbandhan stayed within striking distance and continued to challenge the NDA across the state.

Early numbers may shift

The Election Commission of India (ECI) started the counting with postal ballots. These first leads often change as the day progresses. A clearer picture will emerge once the EVM votes are counted.

Tejashwi Yadav, contesting from the Raghopur constituency, was among the early leaders.

Record voter turnout

Bihar voted in two phases, on November 6 and November 14. The state recorded a turnout of 67.13 per cent, the highest since 1951. Phase 1 registered 65.08 per cent, while Phase 2 saw 69.20 per cent, according to the ECI.

Main alliances in the 2025 election

The key fight is between:

• NDA, led by the BJP and the JD(U)

• Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD and the Congress

The Bihar assembly has 243 seats, and any alliance needs 122 seats to form the government.

CM faces and political expectations

Tejashwi Yadav is the chief ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA has not named its candidate. Many supporters expect Nitish Kumar to return as chief minister, though some believe the alliance could surprise with a new face.

What happened in 2020

In the 2020 elections, the NDA held power with 125 seats. The BJP won 74 seats, and the JD(U) secured 43 seats.
The Mahagathbandhan delivered a strong challenge and won 110 seats, with the RJD becoming the single-largest party.

Nitish Kumar’s political switches

The last assembly term saw two major shifts by JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar.

• In August 2022, he left the NDA and joined the RJD, making Tejashwi Yadav his deputy.

• In January 2024, he switched back to the NDA.

Exit polls indicate NDA advantage

Most exit polls predicted a comfortable win for the NDA. However, some, including Axis My India, projected a close contest with only a narrow edge for the BJP–JD(U) alliance over the Mahagathbandhan.