Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan and others during a public meeting ahead of the state Assembly elections.
Credit: PTI
New Delhi: Three more exit polls, released on Wednesday, predicted an NDA victory in Bihar Assembly elections with one projecting a closer fight than others.
Axis My India predicted that the NDA may get 121-141 seats despite the BJP losing some 18-23 sitting seats from 2020 and the JD(U) re-emerging as the main party in the coalition with 56-62, up from 43 five years ago. BJP could get only 50-56, down from 74 in 2020.
However, the projection claimed the rival RJD could be the single largest party with 67-76 seats as was the case in 2020 when it won 75 seats. RJD’s performance, which could see a minimal decline from 2020, will put the I.N.D.I.A. bloc at 98-118 seats but that may not be enough to cross 122-mark.
Congress is predicted to win 17-21 seats, indicating that its failure to increase its footprint could end up as a reason once more for the Opposition alliance to breach the threshold.
While Mukesh Sahani’s VIP could win 3-5 seats, Left parties CPI(ML)L, CPI(M) and CPI, which together had 16 seats, may have to settle with 10-14 seats.
In the NDA fold, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV) may win 11-16 seats, which would be almost half of the 29 seats it fought. Jiten Ram Manjhi’s HAM(S) and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM may win 2-3 and 2-4 seats respectively.
However, Today’s Chanakya gave a bigger mandate for NDA with seats between 148-172, while giving the I.N.D.I.A. bloc 65-89 and others 3-9 seats. Upper castes, OBCs, EBCs and Dalits overwhelmingly voted for the NDA, while majority of Yadavs and Muslims voted for the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, it said.
Kamakhya Strategies gave NDA 167-187 seats, while the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was predicted to win 54-74 seats. None of the three exit polls saw Jan Suraaj Party performing well in the elections.
On Tuesday, 12 exit polls predicted a clear victory for the NDA, projecting a minimum of 130 seats and a maximum of 209. The I.N.D.I.A. bloc is predicted to win 32 to 108 votes.