Bihar Elections 2025 Live Updates: BJP’s Alinagar candidate Maithili Thakur sings ‘badhai geet’ as early trends show NDA leading

As NDA leads the early trends of Bihar assembly polls, crossing the majority mark in the first two hours, party leaders hailed the massive numbers, with some saying that the people of Bihar have given a huge mandate to the "development-focused policies" of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.

The Opposition, Mahagathbandhan, however, didn't lose hope as it struggled to match the NDA tally, saying the early trends were not reflective of the final results that were to come.

BJP leader Prem Shukla praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, saying he has transformed Bihar and redefined it, reported PTI.

“The people of Bihar have given a massive mandate to the development-oriented policies of PM Narendra Modi. He has transformed Bihar and redefined it. On the other hand, the opposition made fake promises like ‘sarkari naukri har ghar mein’ (government jobs in every home). These promises are not possible even if we increase Bihar budget by four times.”

The Congress party, which is a part of Mahagathbandhan, said that early trends do not reflect the final results, which will be announced soon.

Congress MP Manoj Kumar, said that people in the state were looking for political change. “People will surely bring change in Bihar,” he said, adding that early trends were not an accurate reflection of the final outcome.

NDA leads in 166 seats with BJP ahead in 72, JD(U) in 71; INDIA bloc leads in 56 seats with RJD ahead in 42, Congress in 8: EC - PTI

Reacting to early trends that show an edge for the NDA in the Bihar election results, JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha said, “I think the NDA will win by a big margin, and the result is moving exactly in the direction we expected. The way PM Modi campaigned and the way the Chief Minister showed determination, our victory is certain. The Mahagathbandhan leaders were busy sharing portfolios even before the results, unaware of the ground reality. We were on the ground, and people want Nitish Kumar to be CM again. They (RJD) are talking about turning Bihar into Nepal - this is the kind of absurd language people never forgive. They are frustrated, which is why they are saying such senseless things.”

VIDEO | Patna: Reacting to early trends that show an edge for the NDA in the Bihar election results, JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha says, “I think the NDA will win by a big margin, and the result is moving exactly in the direction we expected. The way PM Modi campaigned and… pic.twitter.com/Yu3xra2hZb

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2025

Already enthused by most exit polls giving it a clear advantage, the NDA is banking on three factors to retain power comfortably: a better social combination; welfare benefits for women, especially the “dashazari” scheme or the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which 1.5 crore prospective women entrepreneurs are eligible to receive Rs 10,000 in the first instalment; and an over-riding Nitish Kumar factor. If this works out, Nitish, who first became CM in October 2005, will take oath for the top job for a record 10th time.

For the NDA, there were a couple of things it had to do in the elections: get the social arithmetic right and play up the development narrative, especially the social welfare schemes. Given the importance of women’s vote in the rise of Nitish Kumar and his two decades in power, the narrative around the “dashazari scheme” and all that the CM has done for women voters over the years became a cornerstone of the NDA’s poll plank. That women have outvoted men by 8.8 percentage points will give the CM and his allies hope.

Counting of votes begins across 46 centres for 243 assembly seats in Bihar: Officials.

On election results, RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan’s CM face Tejashwi Yadav says, “We are going to win. There will be a change this time.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is likely to retain power in Bihar, as per Axis My India and Today’s Chanakya prediction.

Axis My India predicted NDA to win by a narrow margin with 121 to 141 seats, MGB 98 to 118, JSP 0 to 2 seats while Today’s Chanakya projected BJP a major victory with 160 seats, RJD 77 and Others six seats.

On Tuesday, nine exit polls also projected the NDA to win 147 seats in the 243-member Assembly.

With the counting of votes in the Bihar Assembly elections set to take place on Friday, here are five things to watch out for in this keen contest between the incumbent NDA and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan.

Nitish’s leadership

Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar has long been the NDA’s face in Bihar. With the BJP and the JD(U) both allotted 101 seats as part of the NDA’s seat-sharing deal for the state’s 243 seats in the elections, the balance of power appeared to have shifted in the alliance, with the JD(U) no longer remaining the BJP’s senior ally. This indicated that even Nitish’s role may face scrutiny or challenge after the polls.

To retain his position as the NDA’s principal leader in Bihar, Nitish would be dependent on two things: the JD(U)’s own performance and whether the alliance could clinch a clear victory. If the NDA wins comfortably and Nitish retains a strong personal mandate with his party improving its tally as compared to the 2020 polls – when it had won just 43 seats against the BJP’s 74 – his leadership will be reinforced. But if the NDA’s victory is narrow and the BJP outperforms the JD(U), Nitish may see a question mark over his leadership. Read more