With the NDA leading in 186 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, the party's state president Dilip Kumar Jaiswal on Friday expressed strong confidence that the ruling coalition will return to power with a resounding majority.
He stated that the trends confirmed what the ruling coalition had perceived "on the faces and in the words" of voters during both phases of polling. The NDA was leading in 186 seats, whereas the Mahagathbandhan trailed at around 46, indicating a decisive shift in favour of the BJP-led coalition.
Within the NDA, the BJP was leading in 82 seats, the JD(U) in 75, with allies LJP (RV) in 22, HAM(S) in four, and RLM in three, bolstering the alliance's position. The Mahagathbandhan's initial count depended primarily on the RJD's leads in 35 seats, followed by seven from the Congress, and six from its Left partners CPI(ML) Liberation and one from the CPI(M).
The AIMIM was leading in three seats, VIP in one, and BSP in one. Speaking to mediapersons, Jaiswal said the public mood was never unclear.
"During the first and second phases itself, it was clear from the voters' faces and their words that the NDA government was retaining power," he said, adding that Bihar's electorate had reposed its faith in "the world's most popular leader, Narendra Modi," and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whom he described as the state's "vikas purush".
Even as the opposition downplayed the early figures as insignificant, Jaiswal maintained that the outline of the mandate was evident. "These are trends. I agree. Exit polls are also not exact. But I have full faith in the people's mandate. Just wait and watch," he said.
On persistent questions about Nitish Kumar's leadership, the BJP leader reacted sharply to what he called "media-manufactured narratives."
When reminded of posters outside Nitish Kumar's residence proclaiming "tiger zinda hai", Jaiswal dismissed it with a smile, "His stature is bigger than a tiger. Much bigger."
Also Read: Bihar Election Result 2025 Live Updates: NDA leads in 191 seats
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