Bihar: Counting of votes for the high-stakes Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 began at 8 am on Friday, 14 November, with early trends giving the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) a strong advantage. By 8:45 am, the NDA was leading in 80 constituencies, while the Mahagathbandhan held leads in 55 seats as postal ballots were counted.
Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav secured an early lead from Raghopur, while singer-turned-politician Maithili Thakur, contesting her first election on a BJP ticket, was ahead in Alinagar.
The outcome of all 243 Assembly seats will decide whether JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister, returns for a record fifth term or whether the state sees a major political shift.
This election witnessed a historic turnout of 67.13 per cent across the two phases held on 6 and 11 November—one of the highest in Bihar’s electoral history.
While most exit polls predicted a decisive NDA victory, Tejashwi Yadav dismissed the projections, insisting that the Mahagathbandhan would return with a “thumping majority.”
Key contenders in the electoral fray include Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, RJD leader Tej Pratap, and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar, making this one of the most closely watched contests in recent years.
