JOIN USBihar Assembly polls: Most exit polls miss the mark
The Bihar assembly election results appeared to belie predictions made by most exit polls which had given a clear edge to the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan.
The ABP-CVoter exit poll prediction was the closest among all. It had projected 104-128 seats for the NDA and 108-131 seats for the opposition grand alliance.
According to the Election Commission's website, as of 10.30 pm, the NDA was ahead with a slender margin. It had either won or was leading in 122 seats while the Mahagathbandhan's tally stood at 113.
The majority mark in the 243-member Bihar assembly is 122. Counting in a few seats is still underway.
The RJD, however, was ahead of all parties – it had either won or was ahead in 77 seats. The BJP was close behind at 72.
The JD(U) was a distant third and had either won or was ahead in 42 seats, the Congress in 19 seats. The Left parties tally stood at 17.
Chanakya-CNN News18 on Tuesday projected 180 seats for the RJD-led grand alliance, 55 for the NDA and eight for others.
India Today-Axis My India poll showed the RJD-led opposition was likely to win 139-161 seats, as against 69-91 for the NDA. It predicted three to five seats for the LJP and others.
The ABP-CVoter exit poll predicted 104-128 seats for the NDA and 108-131 seats for the opposition grand alliance. It projected Chirag Paswan-led LJP to get one to three seats.
A similar trend was predicted by Times Now-CVoter, which projected 116 seats for the NDA, 120 for the opposition alliance and a single seat for the LJP. It predicted six seats for others.
Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat exit poll also gave a clear majority to the RJD-led alliance with 128 seats, while it projected 104 seats for the ruling NDA, seven seats for the LJP and four for others.
TV9 Bharatvarsh projected NDA to win 115 seats, the grand alliance 120 and four each for LJP and others.
The NDA comprises the JD(U), BJP, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular). The BJP contested 110 seats, leaving 11 to the VIP, while the JD(U) fielded candidates on 115 seats. It had given seven seats to the HAM.
On the other hand, the RJD contested 144 seats, the Congress 70 and the three Left parties fielded candidates on 29 seats.
The three-phase Bihar Assembly election ended on Saturday.