Nitish Kumar accused of delaying count
Patna: A bitter battle is going on for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly between the two alliances. In the midst of this, the RJD has alleged that the JD-U is trying to slow down the pace of counting. It has also alleged that successful candidates are not being given winning certificates.
Addressing journalists here Tuesday, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said he wants to urge Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not to disrespect the people’s mandate.
“The Mahagathbandhan will emerge victorious. The people of Bihar won’t tolerate such actions. I request the outgoing CM not to call up returning officers and put pressure on them,” Jha said.
Tej Pratap Yadav, Jitam Ram Manjhi win in Bihar polls
Patna: RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav won the Hasanpur Assembly constituency seat by a margin of 21,139 votes Tuesday. Even though he was trailing in the initial stages of counting, Tej Pratap Yadav managed to make a strong comeback and defeat JD(U) candidate Raj Kumar Roy. The latter had won the seat twice in 2010 and 2015.
In another result NDA ally HAM president Jitan Ram Manjhi won the Imamganj seat by a margin of 16,034 votes: Election Commission.
Meanwhile the Election Commission said that 3.40 crore out of 4.11 crore votes have been counted till 8.00pm. Officials said that all the results will be declared by 11.00pm.
Amit Shah calls Nitish Kumar as NDA maintains marginal lead in Bihar
Patna: Union Home Minister Amit Shah called up Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the two leaders talked about the Bihar poll results and trends, sources close to the JD(U) president said. The sources however, refused to divulge the details of their telephonic conversation. The NDA is marginally ahead of rival Mahagathbandhan, according to the latest Election Commission update on counting of votes. The BJP has outperformed ally JD(U) which has triggered speculations in some quarters if Kumar will still be the chief minister or somebody from the saffron party will lead the coalition government in the state. Shah and BJP president JP Nadda have already announced that Kumar will be the chief minister irrespective of the seats won by the two allies.
NDA maintains lead over Grand Alliance in Bihar but game still wide open
Patna: The NDA maintained an edge Tuesday over the RJD-led Grand Alliance, winning four seats and leading in 121 others as counting progressed slowly in Bihar. The RJD, leading the opposition five-party alliance, has won two seats, and along with allies, was leading in 106 others, according to the Election Commission website.
RJD still hopeful of forming government in Bihar
Patna: In spite of the trends showing that the NDA is all set to return to power in Bihar, the RJD claimed Tuesday that reports from its candidates and workers have suggested that the Grand Alliance is winning the state elections. According to the trends available so far, the NDA is headed for a majority in Bihar, while the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan is trailing.
“We are in touch with our candidates and workers from all areas and the information received from them tells that results will go in our favour,” the Lalu Prasad-led party said in a tweet. It also said that the counting process will stretch into the night as additional polling stations were set up this time to maintain social distance on the voting day in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. “A Mahagathbandhan government will be formed for sure. Bihar has effected a change,” the RJD added. The party asked its candidates and agents to stay put at the counting centres until the process is completed.
BJP’s march continues in Bihar
Patna: BJP candidate Awdhesh Singh has defeated RJD candidate Dev Kumar Chaurasiya by 5,231 votes to win the Hajipur Assembly constituency in Bihar. Meanwhile there was some good news for RJD also as Lalit Yadav emerged victorious in the Darbhanga Rural Assembly constituency
JD(U) retain Supaul seat
Patna: JD(U) sitting MLA Bijendra Prasad Yadav has retain the Supaul Assembly constituency with a margin of over 29,000 votes. Supaul has been stronghold of Yadav as he never lost the seat since 1990.
BJP wins Darbhanga seat
Darbhanga (Bihar): BJP leader Sanjay Saraogi has won the Darbhanga seat defeating RJD’s Amar Nath Gami by over 10,000 votes, Returning Officer Thiyagrajan SM said Tuesday. Saraogi(50) had won the seat in the 2015 Assembly election too with a margin of 7,460 votes. The election was held in the seat in the last phase of Bihar assembly polls November 7.
Current position in Bihar
NDA-133 UPA-99 LJP-2 Others-9
Over 1 crore votes counted so far in Bihar, clear picture to emerge late night Tuesday
New Delhi: Counting of votes for the Bihar Assembly elections will take longer than usual. It will continue till late in the night because of 63 per cent increase in the number of EVMs, the Election Commission said Tuesday. Briefing reporters in the national capital as the counting progressed in Bihar, EC officials said over one crore votes were counted till around 1.30pm out of nearly 4.16 crore votes polled in the three-phase elections. The official said the counting has been ‘glitch-free’ so far.
NDA will again form government under Nitish in Bihar: JD(U)
Patna: The JD(U) exuded confidence Tuesday that the NDA will again form a government in Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as trends showed the political alliance marching ahead of the RJD-led Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan).
As per the trends available till 1.00pm, the NDA was leading in 126 seats – the BJP in 73, the JD(U) in 47 and the VIP in six. The RJD was leading in 66 seats, the Congress in 21, the CPI(ML) Liberation in 14, the CPI and the AIMIM in three each, the LJP and the CPI(M) in two each and the BSP in one. Independent candidates were leading in five seats.
NDA ahead in more than half of 243 seats of Bihar
Patna: The ruling NDA in Bihar was ahead of its rivals in more than half of the state’s 243 Assembly seats. The BJP is set to outperform its senior alliance partner JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, according to trends available so far.
Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD, projected in exit polls as the clear winner along with other Grand Alliance partners, was leading in 65 out of the 144 seats it contested, while the Congress, which had fielded 70 candidates, was ahead in only 21 places. Among other partners of the RJD-led Grand Alliance the CPI-ML was leading in 14, CPI (3) and CPI-M (2).
As trends from all 243 seats became available, the NDA constituents were ahead in 125, with BJP candidates leading the table in 72 seats and the JD(U) in only 47. The BJP had contested 110 seats as against the JD(U)’s 115. A party or coalition of parties needs 122 seats for a simple majority.
Former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni’s ‘Vikassheel Insaan Party’, a fledgling outfit that joined the NDA just ahead of the Assembly polls, may spring a surprise, having established a lead in six out of 11 seats it contested.
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, which was expected to cause a major upset by pulling out of the NDA and fielding a large number of BJP and JD(U) rebels, was leading in only two seats.
Trends show NDA marching ahead of Grand Alliance in Bihar
Patna: Bihar’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) marched ahead of challenger RJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar, leading in 118 of the 225 seats from where initial trends of counting of votes for the Assembly polls were available till 11.00am.
The Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) was leading in 95 constituencies, including its chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav in Raghopur. His elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav was, however, trailing in Hasanpur.
Of the 118 seats where NDA candidates have established initial lead, the BJP was leading the table in 62, JD(U) 49, VIP (6), and HAM (1).
“Mahagathbandhan’ spearhead RJD was leading in 60 places, and allies Congress (19), CPI-ML (12), CPI-M (3) and CPI (1).
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party nominees were ahead of their rivals in five seats, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM and Bahujan Samaj Party contestants were leading in one seat each, and Independents (5).
Former chief minister and NDA ally HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi was trailing in Imamganj. Veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav’s daughter Subhashini, the Congress nominee for Bihariganj seat in her father’s former pocket borough Madhepura, was also trailing. So was Luv Sinha, the son of actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha. He is the Congress nominee from Bankipur in the state capital.
Trends for 18 seats are not available yet.
If the current trend continues and translates into seats, and Chirag Paswan, who was ploughing a lonely furrow in Bihar while still remaining part of the NDA at the Centre, decides to back the ruling alliance, which in all likelihood he would, then it should have no problem forming a new government.
A party or a coalition of parties needs 122 seats for a simple majority in the 243-member state Assembly.