With only a few days left before the official Bihar Assembly election results, exit polls across media platforms have created a political storm. Most exit polls have predicted a clear and strong victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). However, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, has rejected these results, calling them “fake” and misleading.
NDA projected to win majority seats
According to several survey agencies, including Matrize, P-Marq, Peoples Pulse, Bhaskar, People’s Insight, and JVC, the NDA is expected to win over 133 out of 243 seats, crossing the majority mark of 122. This would mean another term for Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister, supported by allies like Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
- P-Marq Poll: Predicted NDA to win between 130–140 seats.
- Matrize Poll: Estimated 135 seats for NDA and 90 for Mahagathbandhan.
- People’s Pulse Survey: Also indicated a comfortable win for the NDA alliance.
While the majority of pollsters favored the NDA, one outlier poll from Journo Mirror predicted a victory for the Mahagathbandhan, suggesting it could win 130–140 seats, while the NDA might get only 100–110.
BJP welcomes “clean-up” of Opposition
The NDA leaders celebrated the exit poll results with confidence. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said, “The cleanup of Congress and RJD from Bihar has begun. This time’s result will be the most surprising.”
Another BJP leader, Manoj Tiwari, claimed that the Opposition had already accepted defeat. He said, “The Mahagathbandhan has lost the public’s trust. Women and young voters believe in PM Modi and Nitish Kumar. That’s why the NDA is winning again.”
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister also expressed faith in the poll results, stating that the people of Bihar “trust PM Modi and Nitish Kumar.” He added that the NDA could perform even better in the final results, calling it a reflection of “peace and social harmony” in the state.
Opposition calls the exit polls “fake and pre-planned”
The Mahagathbandhan and other Opposition leaders quickly dismissed the exit polls, saying they were designed to influence public opinion. RJD leader Sudhakar Singh argued that high voter turnout in Bihar was a clear sign of change.
“The higher turnout shows that people want to remove the current government. The exit polls are far from reality,” Singh said confidently.
- Record Voter Turnout: Nearly 69% voter turnout was recorded in the final phase of polling.
- The overall turnout for both phases stood at 66%, which is 9.6% higher than the previous assembly election.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also slammed the exit polls, calling them “fake” and “pre-planned.” He mocked the media for showing “paid results” and reminded everyone how similar exit polls before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were proven wrong.
“Those who fund the polls control the narrative,” he said. “But the people of Bihar have voted for change.”
What’s next?
As Bihar waits for the final vote count, political excitement is at its peak. The NDA is hopeful for another term under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, while the Mahagathbandhan believes that the “real results” will expose the “fake exit polls.”
Observers say that the voter turnout, especially among women and young voters, could play a crucial role in deciding the final outcome. Many believe the elections are closer than predicted and that the final numbers may surprise everyone.
This heated political atmosphere in Bihar reflects how crucial the state remains in India’s national politics. Whether it will be continuity with the NDA or a new beginning under the Mahagathbandhan will soon be revealed when the Election Commission announces the official results.
