According to the latest trends, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Janata Dal (United, — is set to retain power in Bihar. The BJP is leading in 72 seats, while Nitish Kumar's JD(U) is ahead in 49 Assembly constituencies. If these trends hold, the NDA should be able to get past the magic figure of 122 in the 243-member House. Meanwhile, in the Mahagathbandhan fold, the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is ahead in 66 seats and the Congress in 21.
The counting of votes, which began at 8 am, is likely to continue late into the evening because of a staggering increase in the number of EVMs on account of the coronavirus pandemic. So far, 50 percent of the votes have been counted, according to the Election Commission of India.
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