Bihar polls verdict today to decide political future of Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav

Counting begins across 46 centres amid tight security

- MPOST BUREAU

All eyes are on the counting of votes that begins on Friday amid tight security arrangements for the recently held high-stakes Assembly elections in Bihar.

Preparing for the results, leaders across Bihar's political spectrum on Thursday held hectic parleys and reviewed last-minute preparations within their respective parties. The assembly election results will determine whether Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving chief minister, secures yet another term—his fifth—as the JD(U) supremo and leading figure of the NDA alliance.

A majority of exit polls have predicted a clear advantage for the NDA, energising its constituents. The alliance is heavily banking on welfare benefits for women and Nitish Kumar's governance record. Under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, 1.5 crore prospective women entrepreneurs are eligible to receive financial support. The NDA not only sought to get the social equation right but also relied on its star campaigners, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to highlight its development and good governance record. This time, women outnumbered men in voting by 8.8 percentage points, fuelling the NDA’s hopes that its social welfare schemes for women will power it to victory.

While Nitish Kumar attended 84 rallies, PM Modi addressed 14 rallies and participated in two roadshows. From the Mahagathbandhan side, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took charge of the campaign and reached out to voters.

Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition coalition’s chief ministerial candidate, dismissed the exit poll predictions and claimed that the Mahagathbandhan would form the government with a thumping majority.