Bihar Rural Works Department Minister Ashok Choudhary on Friday morning expressed confidence that Nitish Kumar would return as Chief Minister, claiming the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on track to secure a two-thirds majority in the Assembly elections.
“We will win by a two-thirds majority. Nitish Kumar will be the CM. The people who used to marginalise Nitish Kumar have now understood what he is,” Choudhary, who also serves as the Janata Dal (United) national general secretary, told sources.
Targeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav for his criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Choudhary said that victory or defeat must be accepted with humility. He also alleged that Tejashwi is surrounded by “criminals”.
Remarks
“This is not how a person who wins speaks. There should be humbleness in accepting victory or defeat. These are the ethos of democracy. He himself has the support of criminals. Who is Ritlal Yadav? Lalu Prasad Yadav goes to campaign for him. We need to think about it. Who is Lali Yadav, for whom Tejashwi went on a helicopter?” he remarked.
Choudhary also criticised RJD leader Sunil Singh’s recent comments, describing them as “provocative”. According to the minister, voters had chosen the RJD in the previous election to play the role of a strong opposition, something he insists will not happen this time.
“Why will there be any disturbance? There are observers, courts, and the Election Commission. You are merely trying to create a perception. Last time, people voted for you to make you a strong opposition. However, this time, you won’t even be a strong opposition. These statements are provocative,” he said.
Sunil Singh had issued a stern caution to poll officials, warning them against any effort to tamper with the mandate, saying that otherwise “the same scenes witnessed on the roads in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will be seen on the roads of Bihar as well”.
He reiterated that “many RJD candidates were forcibly defeated” in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and urged party workers to remain vigilant.
“Many of our candidates were forcibly defeated in 2020. I have requested all our officials involved in the counting process that, if you defeat the person whom the public has given their mandate, the same scenes you witnessed on the roads in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will be seen on the roads of Bihar as well,” Singh told sources.
He further warned that any attempt to go against public sentiment could lead to mass demonstrations.
“You will see the common people taking to the streets. We are absolutely vigilant about this, and we urge you not to do anything that goes against public sentiment, that the public will not accept,” Singh added.
As counting began on Friday morning, the NDA surged ahead of the Mahagathbandhan. By 9:00 am, early trends placed the NDA in the lead in 117 constituencies, while the Mahagathbandhan was ahead in 58.
Within the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led in 49 seats with a conversion rate of 65 per cent. The Janata Dal (United) was ahead in 50 seats, with an even stronger conversion rate of nearly 69 per cent.
Among Mahagathbandhan parties, the CPI (ML) showed the best performance, leading in 7 seats. The RJD was ahead in 40 constituencies with a conversion rate of 37 per cent. The Indian National Congress led in 10 seats, recording a poor 20 per cent conversion rate after contesting 60 seats.
Counting for all 243 Assembly seats began at 8 am under stringent security arrangements. Officials initially counted postal ballots, with EVM vote counting starting at 8:30 am.
A total of 4,372 counting tables and over 18,000 counting agents were deployed to oversee the process. Most exit polls have forecast a comfortable win for the NDA, though some project an advantage for the Mahagathbandhan.
According to the ECI’s official release, 2,616 candidates and 12 recognised political parties contested the two-phase elections held on November 6 and 11, and no constituency reported a request for repolling.
The primary contest in Bihar remains between the NDA, spearheaded by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the Mahagathbandhan led by Tejashwi Yadav.
