Big win for NDA in Bihar, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party fails to make an impact: Exit polls

As voting for the Bihar Assembly polls concluded on Tuesday, exit polls have predicted a return for the NDA’s alliance with a clear majority by securing 130 to 160 seats.

Mahagathbadhan, despite all its promises to bring change to Bihar, may fall short with only 70 to 100 seats. New political entrant Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) has failed to make an impact, with most polls projecting 0–5 seats for the party.

According to News18 Mega Exit poll, NDA is likely to get 140-145 seats, Mahagathbandhan 85-95 and Jan Suraaj Party 0-5.

Dainik Bhaskar poll predicts 145-160 seats for NDA, 73-91 for Mahagathbandhan, with Jansuraaj unlikely to open its account, while Matrize predicts 147–167 seats for NDA, 70-90 for Mahagathbandhan and 0-2 for JSP in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, where the majority mark is 122.

People Pulse poll survey said that NDA may get 133-159 seats, Mahagathbandhan will secure around 75-101 seats, while Jan Suraaj may win 0-5 seats, and others may get 2-8 seats.

As per the DVC Research polls survey, NDA is projected to win 137-152 seats, Mahagathbandhan will win 83-98 seats, Jan Suraaj may win 2-4 seats.

Other exit polls, including JVC, forecast the NDA to win 135–150 seats, while People’s Pulse and People’s Insight estimate the ruling alliance will secure at least 133 seats, signaling a clear path for the NDA to retain control in the state.

The Bihar polls were conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the results will be announced on November 14.

Exit poll projections are made by election survey agencies based on interviews of voters as they come out after casting their votes. These may vary widely from the actual results.

While the NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) as the major alliance partners, is looking to return to power in Bihar, the opposition INDIA bloc, which has the RJD, the Congress and the Left parties as the main constituents, is looking to form the government with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav its chief ministerial face.

Bihar on Tuesday recorded its highest-ever voter turnout of 67.14%, provisionally, at close of polling in the second and final phase of the high-stakes assembly elections, seen as a veritable referendum on the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The polling percentage across 122 constituencies comprising 3.70 crore voters, which was higher than the “record” 65.09 turnout registered in the first phase on November 6, was likely to go up, as queues of voters were seen at many booths, officials said.

In the first phase, on November 6, a “record” 65.09 per cent of 3.75 crore electors, across 121 constituencies had cast their vote, which both rival groups claim to be to their advantage.

With inputs from agencies