Bihar Exit Polls Spark Political Battle
Political temperatures soared in Bihar on Tuesday as various exit poll organizations projected a decisive victory for the ruling NDA alliance led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while opposition INDIA bloc leaders vehemently rejected these forecasts, calling them completely divorced from ground reality.
The exit polls conducted after the second and final phase of voting predicted a comfortable return of the NDA government in the state, a disappointing performance for the opposition Mahagathbandhan, and minimal gains for former poll strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj platform.
NDA Confident, Opposition Skeptical
Bihar minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Santosh Suman expressed strong confidence in the NDA's performance, telling PTI Video: "The NDA is going to form the government with a thumping majority. The number of seats which the NDA will win will be more than what is being projected in the exit polls."
However, RJD leader and Buxar Lok Sabha MP Sudhakar Singh countered this optimism, stating: "The high voter turnout is always considered as people's mandate against the ruling dispensation. We must wait for the final result. I am confident that the Mahagathbandhan will comfortably form the government in Bihar. The exit polls are far from reality."
Detailed Exit Poll Numbers
Various polling agencies released their projections for the 243-member Bihar Assembly, where the majority mark stands at 122 seats:
- Matrize Exit Poll: NDA 147-167, Mahagathbandhan 70-90, Jan Suraaj 0-2
- Dainik Bhaskar: NDA 145-160, Mahagathbandhan 73-91
- People's Insight: NDA 133-148, Opposition 87-102, Jan Suraaj 0-2
- People's Pulse: NDA 133-159, INDIA bloc 75-101, Jan Suraaj 0-5
- JVC: NDA 135-150, Mahagathbandhan 88-103
- Polstrat: NDA 133-148, Mahagathbandhan 87-102
- Chanakya Strategies: NDA 130-138, Mahagathbandhan 100-108, Jan Suraaj 0
- P-Marq: NDA 142-162, Mahagathbandhan 80-98, Jan Suraaj 1-4
Record Voter Turnout Recorded
Bihar witnessed a remarkable nearly 69% voter turnout in the second and final phase of assembly polls, concluding a nearly month-long electoral exercise. The Chief Electoral Officer confirmed that both phases combined registered a provisional voter turnout of 66.90%, representing a significant 9.6 percentage point increase compared to the last assembly elections.
Purnea's independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, interpreted the high participation differently: "They are showing exit polls, while I am telling you exact results. The Mahagathbandhan will form the government with a thumping majority. That is clear. The high voter turnout in the Seemanchal region indicates that the INDIA bloc is forming the government with a decisive majority."
Political Reactions Intensify
BJP MP Dinesh Sharma welcomed the exit poll predictions enthusiastically, declaring: "The cleanup of Congress and RJD from Bihar has begun. This time's results will be the most surprising."
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav joined the chorus of opposition leaders dismissing the exit polls, terming them "fixed" and "fake." He praised the people of Bihar for voting for change and recalled how exit polls during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections had been proven wrong when "big BJP leaders had lost along with the fake exit polls."
The electoral battle saw the ruling NDA defending its governance record against the opposition's promise of change. As political parties await the final verdict, all eyes are set on November 14 when the actual results will be declared, potentially validating or contradicting the exit poll projections that have set the stage for a dramatic conclusion to Bihar's assembly elections.
