The results of the Bihar Assembly Elections, to be declared on Tuesday, November 10, will decide if the state’s voters have decided to hand over the baton to one of the youngest chief ministerial candidates, Tejashwi Yadav and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), which includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and Left parties.
With most exit polls giving an edge to the Grand Alliance, the 15-year-old Nitish Kumar-led government is facing a tough fight in the 243 member Legislative Assembly.
While the three-phase elections with 3,558 candidates, including 370 women and a transgender, concluded on November 7, the counting of votes has already begun at 8 AM in 55 centres across 38 districts.
As per the Grand Alliance seat-sharing deal, Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD contested 144 of 243 Assembly seats, Congress on 70 seats and Left parties contested from 29 seats-- CPI(ML) from 19 seats, and the CPI and CPI(M) six and four seats, respectively. Meanwhile, the BJP and JD(U) were allotted 121 and 122 seats in the NDA camp. Further, the Hindusthani Awam Morcha (HAM) has got seven seats from JD(U)’s share and the Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP) has been allotted 11 seats from the BJP.
The voter turnout in the first, second and third phases of voting being held on October 28, November 3 and November 7 respectively, were recorded at 54%, 55.7% and 56.02% respectively.
We are wrapping up our live updates but will continue updating on our social media platforms. Also tune in to our YouTube channel for detailed analyses on the results of Bihar Assembly election 2020.
Three ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government trail behind their Congress rivals. Ministers Aidal Singh Kansana, Girraj Dandotia, and O.P.S. Bhadoria are struggling in Sumaoli, Dimani and Mehgaon respectively, where their Congress rivals have taken a lead. The party, however, leads in 20 out of 28 seats.
According to ECI website, on majority of seats only 5-6 rounds of counting have been done so far, while total rounds can be around or more than 35. The number of rounds done in some other seats are even lower at only 1-2 done so far.
After the initial rounds of counting, out of 243 seats, there is a thin margin of less than 500 vote in 23 seats whereas in 67 seats the margin of votes is less than 1000, according to NDTV.
Keeping the rounds and the thin margins in view, it is still an open battle.
BJP candidate Lois Marandi was leading in the bypoll to the Dumka Assembly seat while Congress nominee Anup Singh was ahead in Bermo, PTI reports.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal has so far got a vote share of 22.79%, making it the single largest party in terms of vote share, while the JD(U) has a vote share of 15.49% and BJP 19.96%, according to EC trends.
In 2015, the vote share of BJP was marginally better with 24% while RJD has made significant gains, at least as per initial trends, from 18% in last Assembly elections.
The BJP leads in three seats in Manipur, with party candidate Ginsuanhau having won Singhat already. Independent candidate Y. Antas Khan leads in Liong.
Pushpam Priya of the Plurals Party has failed to make any mark in both the constituencies where she contested from, with 389 votes in Bankipur and 211 in Bisfi, according to ECI.
BJP candidate Nitin Nabin is leading from Bankipur with nearly 4,000 votes ahead of INC's Luv Sinha, while in Bisfi too, the BJP candidate is leading ahead of the RJD candidate, but with a smaller margin.
Addressing the media, Chief Electoral Officer HR Srinivas said that only 92 lakh votes have been counted so far out of 4.10 crore votes cast.
According to EC, only 11% votes have been counted till 11:30, three hours after counting started.
The slow counting has been attributed to the special arrangements due to COVID-19 situation. The EC had capped the maximum number of voters per booth from a maximum of 1,500 to 1,000, increasing the number of polling booths, from where votes are to be counted, the Indian Express reported.
This also means that the counting could go up to 30-35 rounds in multiple seats as estimated by Opposition leaders, which leaves them scope for a comeback, particularly with 70 seats so far with wafer-thin margins
EC trends for all 243 seats:
NDA leading on 127 seats - BJP 74, JDU 48, VIP 4, HAM 1
Mahagathbandhan ahead on 106 seats - RJD 66, Congress 21, Left 19
BSP leading on two, AIMIM on three, LJP on one & independents on four
“There has been a glitch-free counting process. More than one crore votes have been counted in Bihar. Significant ground to be covered yet. We hope to finish counting as per procedure late tonight.”
“As per law all postal ballots received till 8 am today are to be taken up for counting. Data related to that available with concerned officers. More than 50 thousand votes were received in the RO offices.”
“It has been clarified time and again that EVMs are robust and tamper proof. The ECI had also offered an EVM challenge inviting all political parties in 2017… merits no further clarification.”
“Counting is not happening slowly. Since there are a greater number of EVMs it will take time. As compared to 2015 the number of booths and postal ballots have increased. In 2015 there were 65,000 polling booths. This time we have 1.06 lakh booths."
Needing a minimum of eight seats, the saffron party is ahead in 21 seats at the moment. The Congress is ahead in six seats while the BSP leads in one.
We will see you in a few hours and will prove that we did what we had said: Manoj Jha, RJD MP (ANI)
Independent candidate T. Yangseo Sangtam leads by over 1,400 votes in Pungro Kiphire. Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party candidate Medo Yhokha just shades his rival in the Southern Agami - I seat.
JMM candidate Basant Soren leads the BJP’s Lois Marandi by 450 votes in Dumka while the INC’s Kumar Jaimangal leads the BJP’s Yogeshwar Mahto by over 11,000 votes in Bermo.
EC trends for 243 seats:
NDA leading in 128 seats: BJP 73, JD(U) 49, VIP 5, HAM 1
Grand Alliance ahead on 105 seats: RJD 66, Cong 21, CPI(ML) 12, CPI 3, CPI(M) 3
AIMIM, BSP and LJP each leading on two seats, Independents on four.
In Raghopur Assembly constituency, RJD’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav’s promise of jobs and change seems to have found resonance among the voters as he has surged ahead with over 28,000 votes after 12 rounds, as per ECI. BJP’s Satish Kumar is trailing by more than 8,500 votes.
As of 2:30 PM, Left candidates were leading in 19 seats in the Bihar Assembly elections out of the total 29 they contested. The three Left parties, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(ML)-Liberation, are part of the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance . Left candidates are trailing in 10 seats. This means that the Left parties have the most impressive record, leading in 66% seats that they contested. Barring one seat, in all other leading seats the Left’s margins are in the thousands.
Jadeja Pradhyumansinh Mahipatsinh of the BJP has won the Abdasa assembly seat. The party’s candidates lead in the remaining seven seats.
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