Bihar election results LIVE: NDA takes early lead over Mahagathbandhan as ECI counts votes

BIhar election results 2025 unrecorded: The Election direction of republic of india (ECI) has begun the counting of votes for the 243-seat Bihar assemblage elections 2025, and betimes trends show the BJP leading on at least 20 seats, with key constituencies like Lakhisarai, Alinagar, Buxar and Patna Sahib among them. The RJD is also giving a tough fight to its opponent, maintaining a lead on 16 seats, trends from PValue showed this morning.These are very early trends and it will likely be indicated by evening who out of the top contenders - the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the Mahagathbandhan - is heading for victory.While most exit polls have favoured the ruling NDA as the clear winner, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan remains confident of defying the projections and coming to power.Tap for live updates on Bihar election in Hindi here.Major players in the ruling NDA are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Meanwhile, the Opposition INDIA bloc consists of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress primarily.While former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav is the INDIA bloc’s CM face, the ruling NDA has made no such announcement. All eyes are also on Nitish Kumar’s future, with the Opposition long claiming that he may not return as chief minister even if the NDA secures a win.Poll analyst Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) is also in the fray in the election.Bihar assembly election results | Key pointsBihar elections vote counting time: The Election Commission of India will begin counting votes at 8 am, starting with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). While the official declaration of overall results may not happen today, a clear picture of the likely winner is expected to emerge by evening.Bihar elections 2025 majority mark: The simple majority mark in the 243-seat House is 122, meaning a party or an alliance will have to secure a win in at least 122 constituencies to be able to form a government.Bihar election key battles: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's bastion Raghopur, the Mahua seat on which his estranged brother is contesting, the Alinagar seat from where BJP has fielded popular folk singer Maithili Thakur and constituencies in the crucial Seemanchal region - including Kishanganj, Purnia, Araria and Katihar - are some of the key battles to watch out in the Bihar assembly elections.What exit polls predicted: Days ahead of result day, most pollsters predicted a comfortable win for the NDA, which is projected to restrict Mahagathbandhan below the majority mark. While pollsters like Today's Chanakya, Matrize, P-Marq, Peoples Pulse, and poll diary predicted a landslide win for the NDA, Axis My India projected a narrow victory. While the BJP thumped its chest over the projection, the Mahagathbandhan dismissed them as attempts to create a "psychological impact".Bihar voter turnout: Voting for the Bihar assembly elections was held in two phases - November 6 and November 11. The first phase recorded 65.08 per cent polling, while the second logged a record 69.20 per cent, the highest the state has seen in polls held since 1951, according to the EC.Exit poll that favoured Mahagathbandhan: While most exit polls predicted a clear win for the ruling NDA, there was one that projected a victory for the Opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. A news portal called Journo Mirror predicted that the INDIA bloc alliance will comfortable cross the majority mark with 130-140 seats, while projecting 100-110 seats for the NDA.RJD leader's ‘provocative’ remark: Just ahead of Bihar Assembly election results, an RJD leader sparked a controversy, saying a “Nepal-like situation” could emerge on the streets if vote counting is halted. RJD leader Sunil Kumar's remark came in reference to the GenZ protests that rocked Nepal back in September this year.Bihar candidates in fray: While 1,302 candidates contested on 121 seats in the first phase on November 6, the remaining 1,314 contested on 122 seats on November 11 during the final phase, as per data from the Election Commission of India.