The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has secured a landslide victory in Bihar, with Nitish Kumar — the state’s longest-serving chief minister — set to return for a record fifth term.
For Nitish’s JD(U), this marks a clear rebound from its 2020 showing, helped in part by a record turnout of women voters this year, while NDA partner BJP emerges as the single largest party.
The Mahagathbandhan has suffered a drubbing, with the RJD struggling even in its key bastions, while the Congress has slipped to single-digit seats.
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has delivered a muted poll debut.
Bihar recorded a historic 67.13% turnout in the two-phase election to its 243-member assembly on November 6 and 11, with women outnumbering men at the polls, voting 71.78% to 62.98%.
The polls followed a contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls that drew scrutiny ahead of voting.
Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "...This election has further strengthened the public's trust in the Election Commission of India. The consistently high voter turnout over the past few years, the increased turnout by the deprived and the exploited, is a significant achievement for the Election Commission."
"This is the same Bihar that was once dominated by Maoist terror. Voting used to end at 3 pm in Naxal-affected areas. But in this election, people in Bihar have voted without fear, with enthusiasm and excitement. You also know what used to happen in Bihar during the times of jungle raj. Violence used to occur openly at polling stations. Ballot boxes were looted. Today, the same Bihar is seeing record voter turnout. It is voting peacefully. Everyone's vote has been recorded. Everyone has cast their vote as per their choice..," he added.
".Some parties in Bihar had created the appeasement formula of MY. But today's victory has given a new positive MY formula, and that is Mahila and Youth. Today, Bihar is among those states of the country which have the highest number of youth, and this includes youth from every religion and every caste. Their desire, their aspiration and their dreams have completely destroyed the old communal MY formula of the Jungle Raj people..," says PM Modi.
#BiharElections | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, ".Some parties in Bihar had created the appeasement formula of MY. But today's victory has given a new positive MY formula, and that is Mahila and Youth. Today, Bihar is among those states of the country which have the… pic.twitter.com/kxUKI76cG1
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "...When I used to speak about Jungle Raj and Katta Sarkar in Bihar elections, the RJD party raised no objections. But it hurt the people of Congress. Today, I want to reiterate that Katta Sarkar will never return to Bihar...The people of Bihar have voted for Viksit Bihar..."
Hailing the NDA alliance's record victory in the Bihar polls, Modi said, "...We are the servants of the people. We keep making the people happy with our hard work and we have stolen the hearts of the people. And that is why the entire Bihar has said 'Phir ek baar NDA Sarkar'..."
RJD leader and INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate Tajashwi Yadav won the Raghopur seat, defeating BJP's Satish Kumar with a margin of 14,532 votes.
Raghopur is a strong hold of the Yadav family and the RJD and has been represented by party supremo and former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi.
Tejashwi has held the seat for the last 10 years, defeating BJP's Kumar in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections.
VIDEO | Delhi: PM Modi (@narendramodi) arrives at BJP headquarters, waving a 'gamcha', as the NDA secures a landslide victory in the Bihar polls. #BiharElections2025 #BiharElectionsWithPTI #BiharResultsWithPTI
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/LLbH8KjG4N
#WATCH | Janata Dal (United) workers and supporters celebrate outside the party office in Patna as the National Democratic Allaince (NDA) is set to secure a historic win in Bihar #BiharElection2025 pic.twitter.com/SLB3uRMVth
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
JDU supremo and longest serving chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar hailed the historic victory of the NDA alliance in Assembly polls.
"In the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections-2025, the people of the state have expressed their confidence in our government by giving us a massive majority. For this, I bow to all the esteemed voters of the state, and express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks. I express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for the support received from him, while bowing to him," he said in a post on X.
बिहार विधान सभा चुनाव-2025 में राज्यवासियों ने हमें भारी बहुमत देकर हमारी सरकार के प्रति विश्वास जताया है। इसके लिए राज्य के सभी सम्मानित मतदाताओं को मेरा नमन, हृदय से आभार एवं धन्यवाद।
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) November 14, 2025
आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी को उनसे मिले सहयोग के लिए उनका नमन करते हुए हृदय…
Hailing the big win of NDA alliance, of which his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is part of, Union Minister Chirag Paswan attributed it to the "strength of the double-engine government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
"I firmly believe that Nitish Kumar will remain the Bihar chief minister. Arrogance is the cause for the opposition's humiliating loss and it is the sole factor that led to its downfall," Paswan told the media.
"Our overwhelming victory is on account of the strength of the double-engine government which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and our chief minister Nitish Kumar in the state. The people of Bihar have reposed complete faith in the unity of the NDA partners which has led to this win," he added.
The Mahagathbandhan's Deputy CM face and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni attributed the NDA's landslide victory to the dole announced by Nitish Kumar ahead of the elections.
"... We will stand with the public so they are not cheated... If they don't release the remaining Rs 1 lakh 90 thousand in a timely manner, the public who has made us sit at home will do the same to them... The base votes went to us... But a huge section, especially the women, blindly voted for Nitish Kumar, which is why he has recieved such a huge mandate..," he said.
#WATCH | Patna | On NDA heading towards a landslide victory in #BiharElection2025, VIP chief and Mahagathbandhan's Dy CM face Mukesh Sahni says, "... We will stand with the public so they are not cheated... If they don't release the remaining Rs 1 lakh 90 thousand in a timely… pic.twitter.com/Hr4jjoXpwe
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
The share of None of the Above (NOTA) votes in the Bihar assembly polls rose slightly to 1.81 per cent (6,65,870 votes) compared with 1.68 per cent in 2020, but remains well below the 2.48 per cent recorded in 2015, Election Commission data shows.
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), seen as the ‘X factor’ in the Bihar polls, has struggled to gain traction, with most candidates set to forfeit their security deposits. According to Election Commission data, a majority of JSP nominees in 238 constituencies secured less than one-sixth of the total votes polled.
In several seats, JSP candidates even polled fewer votes than NOTA (None of the Above). For instance, Mohammad Ekramul Haque from Forbesganj secured just 789 votes, while NOTA registered 2,253 votes.
Only a few candidates, including Tripurari Kumar Tiwary (16.58% in Chanpatia) and Sarfaraj Alam (16.34% in Jokihat), managed to cross the 10 per cent mark. Kishor had earlier claimed JSP could win 150 seats but warned it might either top the tally or end at the bottom.
"Victory of good governance has been achieved. Victory of development has been achieved. Victory of the spirit of public welfare has been achieved. Victory of social justice has been achieved," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X amid NDA's landslide victory in Bihar Assembly polls.
"My deepest gratitude to the family members of Bihar, who have blessed the NDA with a historic and unprecedented victory in the 2025 assembly elections. This resounding public mandate will empower us to serve the people and work with new resolve for Bihar," the prime minister added.
सुशासन की जीत हुई है।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 14, 2025
विकास की जीत हुई है।
जन-कल्याण की भावना की जीत हुई है।
सामाजिक न्याय की जीत हुई है।
बिहार के मेरे परिवारजनों का बहुत-बहुत आभार, जिन्होंने 2025 के विधानसभा चुनावों में एनडीए को ऐतिहासिक और अभूतपूर्व जीत का आशीर्वाद दिया है। यह प्रचंड जनादेश हमें…
Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has won the Kochadaman seat, while it is also leading in four other seats.
AIMIM's Sarwar Alam secured 81,860 votes and defeated RJD's Mujahid Alam by a margin of 23,021 votes while BJP's Bina Devi finished third with 44,858 votes.
BJP candidate Vinay Bihari won the Lauriya seat by defeating Vikassheel Insaan Party's ran kaushal Pratap Singh.
Ran Kaushal Pratap Singh was the richest candidate in fray this time, with declared assets worth Rs 368.98 crore.
RJD leader and INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate Tajashwi Yadav, who had been trailing behind BJP's Satish Kumar by over 7000 votes, is now leading by 13,367 votes.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday hailed the NDA coalition's historic win in Bihar Assembly polls, calling it the "victory of every Bihari who believes in 'Developed Bihar'."
"No matter in what guise those who practice jungle raj and appeasement politics come, they will not get the opportunity to loot. The public now gives its mandate solely and exclusively on the basis of ‘Politics of performance’," the home minister said in a post on X.
He also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar for the landslide victory in Bihar. He also congratulated all workers of Bihar BJP "from the booth level to the state level who have brought this result to fruition through their tireless hard work."
"I assure the people of Bihar and especially our mothers and sisters that with the hope and trust with which you have given this mandate to the NDA, under the leadership of Modi ji, the NDA government will fulfill it with even greater dedication," he added.
The ruling NDA coalition has so far won 9 seats and is leading in 195 seats while the opposition Mahagathbandhan is leading in 32 seats including Raghopur, where RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is contesting.
Former Bihar minister Rana Randhir of the BJP retained Madhuban seat for the third time, by winning the constituency by a margin of 5,492 votes.
BJP candidate Raju Kumar Singh won Sahebganj seat by a margin of 13,522 votes.
JD(U) candidate Anant Kumar Singh, who was arrested earlier this month for the murder of a Jan Suraj Party supporter, won the Mokama seat by a margin of 28,206 votes.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | Supporters of JDU candidate Anant Singh celebrate at his residence, as he leads from Mokama assembly constituency by 28206 votes. pic.twitter.com/snd9iYaAL5
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
RJD leader and INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate Tajashwi Yadav, who had been trailing behind BJP's Satish Kumar by over 7000 votes has now picked up and is leading by 3523 votes, in the Raghopur seat.
Raghopur is a strong hold of the Yadav family and the RJD and has been represented by party supremo and former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi.
Tejashwi has held the seat for the last 10 years, defeating BJP's Kumar in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections.
#WATCH | Nalanda, Bihar: Women in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's village Kalyan Bigha celebrate as NDA is set to return to power in Bihar #BiharElection2025 pic.twitter.com/utDQB7Ps9H
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
JDU's Maheshwar Hazari has won the Kalyanpur seat by defeating CPI(ML)(L)'s Ranjeet Kumar Ram by a margin of 38,586 votes.
The RJD, which emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 Assembly elections, is facing an embarrassing defeat this time as trends show it leading in just 24 seats. However, according to NDTV, the Tejashwi Yadav-led party has received more votes than its rivals - the BJP and JD(U).
As of six hours into counting, the RJD has secured a 22.84% vote share, 1.86% higher than the BJP and 3.97% higher than the JDU.
The INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, is trailing in RJD stronghold Raghopur, while BJP's Satish Kumar is leading by 7493 votes, according to the Election Commission of India.
BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, "Bihar ki jeet hamari hai, ab Bengali ki baari hai": West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari hailed NDA's big win in Bihar and exuded confidence that the same will be repeated in the state.
"Ek hi slogan hai- Bihar ki jeet hamari hai, ab Bengal ki baari hai (There is only one slogan - Bihar's victory is ours, now it is Bengal's turn...)," he said.
As the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan stares at an extraordinary loss in the Bihar Assembly, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel blamed the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, for the poor results.
"One person is responsible for this result- Gyanesh Kumar. I congratulate him. 65 lakh votes were deleted, and 21 lakh voters were added. This magic has been done by Gyanesh Kumar... Gyanesh Kumar has made all the efforts alone. Congratulations to him..," he said.
"The way people of Bihar have given support to the NDA is historic. The people of Bihar have shown their support for the development done by the double-engine government... The work done under the leadership of PM Modi and Nitish Kumar has been successful in the last 10 years, and the public has made us victorious. I want to thank the people of Bihar for this..," said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, is trailing in RJD stronghold Raghopur, while BJP's Satish Kumar is leading by 4829 votes, according to the Election Commission of India.
Tejashwi has held the seat for the last 10 years, defeating BJP's Kumar in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections.
Tejashwi Yadav became the youngest chief ministerial candidate in the country when he contested the 2020 elections at the age of 30. In 2017, at 28, he had already become the youngest Leader of the Opposition in any state assembly.
The JD(U) led NDA is headed for an unprecedented victory with trends showing the ruling alliance leading in 202 seats, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan has been reduced to just 34 seats.
As the INDIA bloc stares at a terrible defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections, with trends showing the opposition grand alliance not even reaching 40 seats, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala raised suspicions of "vote theft" in the state.
"...Whatever happened in Maharashtra, Haryana has been repeated in Bihar. This has been told by everybody in the country that Bihar also will follow the path of Maharashtra and Haryana. So, democracy is in trouble," the Congress leader charged.
"The right-thinking people of this country have to think about this very seriously because there is no value for our votes. Votes will be decided by the EC. EC is colluding with BJP and doing all these things. So, I feel that there is no scope for parliamentary democracy in our country..," he alleged.
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: On #BiharElection2025 trends, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala says, "...Whatever happened in Maharashtra, Haryana has been repeated in Bihar. This has been told by everybody in the country that Bihar also will follow the path of Maharashtra… pic.twitter.com/cWuFLwxhGi
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
RJD rebel and Tejashwi Yadav's brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, is trailing by over 26,000 votes in the Mahua constituency. Chirag Paswan's Lok Jan Shakti Party has taken the lead by over 3000 votes, pushing Tej Pratap to the third spot.
The INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, is trailing in RJD stronghold Raghopur, while BJP's Satish Kumar is leading by 3230 votes.
Tejashwi has held the seat for the last 10 years, defeating BJP's Kumar in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday blamed the Election Commission's controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for the opposition INDIA bloc's poor results in the Bihar Assembly polls.
"The game that SIR played in Bihar will no longer be possible in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, UP, and other places now because this electoral conspiracy has been exposed. From now on, we will not let them play this game. Like CCTV, our 'PPTV' meaning 'PDA Sentinel' will stay vigilant and thwart the BJP's intentions," he wrote in a post on X.
"BJP is not a party, it is deceit," he added.
बिहार में जो खेल SIR ने किया है वो प. बंगाल, तमिलनाडू, यूपी और बाक़ी जगह पर अब नहीं हो पायेगा क्योंकि इस चुनावी साज़िश का अब भंडाफोड़ हो चुका है। अब आगे हम ये खेल, इनको नहीं खेलने देंगे।CCTV की तरह हमारा ‘PPTV’ मतलब ‘पीडीए प्रहरी’ चौकन्ना रहकर भाजपाई मंसूबों को नाकाम करेगा।…
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 14, 2025
The JD(U) led NDA is headed for an unprecedented victory with trends showing the ruling alliance leading in 201 seats while the opposition Mahagathbandhan has been reduced to just 36 seats.
The RJD, the key constituent of the opposition alliance, which emerged as the single largest party in the previous Assembly polls, is leading in just 27 seats.
The ruling NDA is headed for a landslide victory in Bihar, with trends showing that the alliance is leading on 199 seats. Mahagathbandhan is just leading in 38 seats.
As of 12:40 pm, the NDA has widened its lead to 195 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan is lagging with just 42 seats in the lead. Within the NDA, the BJP is ahead on 89 seats, surpassing the JD(U), which leads on 79. In the opposition camp, the RJD is leading on 32 seats, while the Congress leading on four and left parties on six seats.
Mahagathbandhan’s Chief Ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav has a slim lead of just 219 votes in the 6/30 round of counting in Raghopur. Tejashwi Yadav has so far secured 23,531 votes, whereas BJP's Satish Kumar has bagged 23,312.
With trends pointing to a sweeping victory for the NDA and a weak performance by the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that women voters in Bihar were being handed Rs 10,000 each.
“Bihar results are disappointing, there is no doubt about it. The atmosphere I witnessed there, women were being given Rs 10,000 each; this was happening even during the election campaign. The Election Commission remained a mute spectator. Why did it not stop this? It should have, but it didn’t,” he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Jaipur: As Mahagathbandhan trails in Bihar, Senior Observer for the state, Ashok Gehlot says, "Bihar results are disappointing, there is no doubt about it. The kind of atmosphere I saw there - women were given Rs 10,000 each; it was being given even when the Election… pic.twitter.com/mD2PCE3k3d
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
Jan Suraaj Party spokesperson Pavan K Varma said the party would undertake a "serious review" of its performance in the Bihar Assembly elections after early trends showed Prashant Kishor's outfit making little impact despite a grassroots campaign.
Left parties were leading in nine assembly seats in Bihar, according to the Election Commission.
CPI(ML) Liberation was ahead in seven seats, while the CPI(M) was leading in two.
CPI(ML) Liberation candidates were leading in Daraunda, Paliganj, Arrah, Dumraon, Karakat, Arwal and Ghosi seats.
CPI(M), on the other hand, was leading in Hayaghat and Bibhutipur seats.
The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM was leading in three seats as counting was underway for the Bihar assembly polls on Friday, according to the Election Commission.
AIMIM's Md Sarawar Alam was leading in Kochadhaman by 4,370 votes, Akhtarul Iman was ahead in Amour by 8,956 votes, and Ghulam Sarwar was leading in Baisi by 5,139 votes.
All these seats are in the Seemanchal region, which has a significant Muslim population.
The Election Commission has released trends for all 243 seats in the state.
The NDA is leading on 188 seats, with the BJP ahead in 84, JD(U) in 77, LJP(RV) in 22, HAMS in 5, and RLM in 2. The Mahagathbandhan is leading on 51 seats, including 35 for the RJD, 5 for Congress, 7 for CPI(ML)L, and one each for VIP and CPI(M).
After maintaining a lead for some time, RJD candidate and INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav is trailing from the Raghopur seat. BJP candidate Sanjay Kumar is currently leading from there by a margin of 1,273 votes.
JDU candidate Anant Kumar Singh, who was recently jailed following his arrest in a murder case, is leading in the Mokama Assembly constituency, according to trends.
He was fielded against RJD’s Veena Devi and Jan Suraaj Party’s Priyadarshi Piyush.
Priyadarshi Piyush is the nephew of Dularchand Yadav, who was killed on October 30 during firing between rival groups while campaigning in Mokama.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said,"As I said, the initial trends in itself show that Gyanesh Kumar appears to be succeeding against the people of Bihar. This fight is not between the BJP, Congress, RJD, and JDU. This is a direct fight between Gyanesh Kumar and the people of India."
#WATCH | #BiharElection2025 | Congress leader Pawan Khera says, "As I said, the initial trends in itself show that Gyanesh Kumar appears to be succeeding against the people of Bihar. This fight is not between the BJP, Congress, RJD, and JDU. This is a direct fight between Gyanesh… pic.twitter.com/SMF8joiXBI
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
The ruling NDA is headed for a sweep in Bihar, with trends showing that the alliance is leading on 193 seats, very close to the 200-mark. The majority mark in the 243-member assembly in Bihar is 122.
Three hours into the counting for Bihar’s high-stakes elections, the NDA has taken a lead while the Mahagathbandhan struggles to gain momentum. As of 11 am, the Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD is ahead in 36 seats, the BJP in 79, the JDU in 84, and the Congress in 6. These are preliminary trends and may change as counting continues.
Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram raised doubts over the "integrity" of the counting process even as Election Commission trends placed the NDA comfortably ahead of the Mahagathbandhan.
Ram alleged "serious anomalies" in the counting process, claiming that the procedure had slowed abruptly in several centres after the initial rounds.
Accusing the administration of attempting to "steal votes", he claimed there were reports of "server vans" hovering around counting centres and "irregularities at booths."
"When vote theft happens in Maharashtra and Haryana, why will people not suspect the same here? Especially the Opposition," he told news agency PTI.
Of the 43 seats in Patna, the NDA is ahead in 27, while the opposition Grand Alliance leads in 15 ,14 fewer than in 2020. In a surprise development, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is leading in one seat in the region.
The BJP continues to hold Patna Sahib and Patna City, having won the last three elections in both constituencies. Arrah has swung between the BJP and the RJD, reflecting sharper competition. Buxar and Rajpur (SC) have alternated between the BJP, the INC and other parties, while Agiaon (SC) and Ghosi have often leaned towards the RJD and left groups such as the CPI(ML) Liberation.
The ruling NDA was ahead in 173 assembly seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc was leading in 66 constituencies, according to trends available on DeKoder website.
The BJP was leading in 75 seats, the JD(U) in 75, and LJP (Ram Vilas) in 18.
The RJD was leading in 50 seats and the Congress in 10, andand CPI(ML)(L) leading in four seats.
Seemanchal has been one of the most closely contested zones in Bihar. Of the region’s 24 seats, the NDA is leading in 13—a gain of one from 2020—indicating its hold in the area remains largely intact.
The Mahagathbandhan is ahead in 10 seats, a three-seat improvement over its 2020 tally, suggesting a modest recovery in parts of the region.
Home to a significant share of Bihar’s roughly 17% Muslim population, it has witnessed high-intensity campaigning from all major parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi.
As early trends put the NDA within reach of a dominant mandate, the standout story is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) reversing its lacklustre 2020 performance. That raises a familiar question: have women voters once again driven Nitish’s edge?
Women turned out in record numbers in 2025 — 71.78% of women cast their ballots compared with 62.98% of men. Women outvoted men by more than 14 percentage points in seven districts and by over 10 points in 10 others. Patna was the only district where men outvoted women.
And it shows. The JD(U) has seen a sharper turnaround in early trends, leading in 74 seats — a gain of nearly 31 from the 43 it won in 2020.
Women voters have long been central to the JD(U)’s coalition, alongside the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who make up more than 36% of Bihar’s 13.07 crore population. Nitish’s own Kurmi community, classified within the EBCs, accounts for around 3%.
And Clearly, the NDA’s manifesto — with its major promises for the youth, EBCs and women entrepreneurs — seems to be paying dividends.
This year’s women turnout is not an outlier. Women voters were crucial to the NDA’s victory in 2020, when the alliance won more than 60% of the 119 seats where women outvoted men. The last time women posted a comparably strong turnout was in 2015, when 60.48% voted compared with 53.32% of men. While the surge did not translate into significant gains for the JD(U) in 2020, it certainly did in 2015, when Nitish was part of the Mahagathbandhan and the party won 71 seats.
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, widely expected to flop in its electoral debut, made a surprisingly strong start in the 2025 Bihar election count, taking early leads in three seats.
The party is contesting 239 of the state’s 243 constituencies.
The Peoples Pulse exit poll projected the party could secure nearly 10 per cent of the vote, outperforming the Congress and marking an impressive debut.
On early election result trends, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said, although a close contest is visible, in many places the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan is ahead.
"We have full hope and confidence that within one or two hours it will become clear that the Mahagathbandhan is forming the government in Bihar," Tiwari said.
VIDEO | Bihar election results 2025: RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari says, "In the initial trends that have come in, a close contest is visible, but in many places the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan is ahead. We have full hope and confidence that within one or two hours it will become… pic.twitter.com/IoXNeXrurB
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2025
The ruling NDA crossed the half-way mark of 122, leading on 157 seats, as per early trends from DeKoder. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan is leading in 81 seats.
Prashant Kishor- led JSP has taken lead in three seats as per early trends.
As per the Election Commission of India's very early trends, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is currently leading in the three seats of Darauli, Bakhtiarpur and Bodh Gaya. The party is a constituent of the NDA.
As the NDA takes a surging lead well past the halfway mark, its key partners — the BJP and JD(U) — are on track to outperform their 2020 results.
The BJP, which won 74 seats in the 2020 assembly elections, is currently leading in 79. The JD(U) has seen a sharper turnaround, leading in 68 seats — a gain of nearly 25 from the 43 it won in 2020.
The BJP-led NDA is ahead in 132 seats in very early leads, as per Dekoder. The opposition, Mahagathbandhan is leading in 80 seats.
Prashant Kishor- led JSP has taken lead in four seats as per early trends.
The BJP-led NDA is ahead in 116 seats in very early leads, as per Dekoder. The opposition, Mahagathbandhan is leading in 77 seats.
Prashant Kishor- led JSP has taken lead in five seats as per early trends.
Expelled RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav is leading on the Mahua seat, according to early trends. He contested the seat from his newly-found Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) party.
Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, is leading the RJD bastion of Raghopur, as per very early trends.
The BJP-led NDA is ahead in 81 seats in very early leads, as per Dekoder. The opposition, Mahagathbandhan is leading in 42 seats.
Prashant Kishor- led JSP has taken lead in three seats as per early trends.
Vote counting in Bihar is underway, with the BJP-led NDA heading for a decisive victory. The opposition Mahagathbandhan lags far behind, failing to make a mark even in key RJD strongholds like Raghopur. Nitish Kumar, the state’s longest-serving is set to extend his reign for fifth time.
Bihar recorded a historic 67.13% turnout in the two-phase election to its 243-member assembly on November 6 and 11, with women outnumbering men at the polls, voting 71.78% to 62.98%. The polls followed a contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls that drew scrutiny ahead of voting.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun the counting of votes for the 243-member Assembly, starting with postal ballots, and early trends will start coming in by 9 am.
The poll panel has designated 46 counting centres across the 38 districts of Bihar, with a three-layer security at strong rooms.
The opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar, led by chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, raised concerns about a “conspiracy” during the counting of votes for the Assembly elections, alleging that the ruling NDA was attempting to influence the process.
Speaking at a press conference in Patna, Tejashwi urged the Election Commission to guarantee “impartiality” in the counting.
Recalling the 2020 Assembly polls, the RJD leader claimed that the Mahagathbandhan “was certain to form the government, but manipulations by pliant officials changed the outcome.”
Ahead of the vote count, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha said that the people of Bihar were looking towards political change, expressing confidence in the Mahagathbandhan’s prospects.
“We stand with the aspirations and expectations of the people of Bihar. The State is moving towards change,” he said, adding that “the picture will become clearer by noon, under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav and the Mahagathbandhan.”
He added, “I believe exit polls are a game of capital, a game of the market, a game of ‘Shehen-Shah’. We do not play that game."
#WATCH | Patna: Ahead of the counting of votes for #BiharElection2025, RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha says, "We are with the hopes and expectations of Bihar. The State is heading towards a change. Everything will be clear after noon. Change, under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav and… pic.twitter.com/9TEPbPMmQ8
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
Ahead of the Bihar vote count, Independent MP Pappu Yadav said he is confident voters have backed the Mahagathbandhan, saying there was “public anger” against the NDA and a strong desire for change.
“I am confident that the public has bestowed their trust on the Mahagathbandhan.There was anger among the public against the NDA alliance and they wanted change"
Yadav alleged that “BJP cannot win any election without lying, money power, theft”. He claimed women and young voters had “strongly backed the INDIA alliance”, and accused the party of attempting to ensure that a BJP-led government replaced the existing Nitish Kumar administration.
#WATCH | Delhi | Ahead of the counting of votes for #BiharElection2025, Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav says, "...I am confident that the public has bestowed their trust on the Mahagathbandhan...There was anger among the public against the NDA alliance and they wanted… pic.twitter.com/UNQDnN41zD
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
The Election Commission of India has made elaborate arrangements at the 46 counting centres across Bihar’s 38 districts, with a two-tier security system supported by 24/7 CCTV surveillance.
According to news agency PTI, the Commission stated, “While the inner tier has been assigned to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), state police have been deployed at the outer ring. In addition, round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and other security measures have been put in place.”
The EVMs and VVPATs used in the elections have been sealed inside strong rooms under a double-lock system.
On counting day for Bihar Assembly elections, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari claimed the Mahagathbandhan will form the next government.
“Whatever the speculation is, the results will be in our favour. Nitish Kumar’s government is there for only a few hours now, their exit is certain,” he said, adding that the party was “vigilant and keeping an eye everywhere.”
VIDEO | Patna: Bihar Assembly Election counting day - RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari says, “Whatever the speculation is, the results will be in our favour. Nitish Kumar’s government is going to exit, and the Mahagathbandhan will form the government. We are vigilant and… pic.twitter.com/Rf8sY7XQO5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2025
Visuals from RJD headquarters in in Patna, where a poster reading “Alvida Chacha”, symbolically showing Nitish Kumar’s exit from the CM chair, has been put up.
The RJD, which contested 143 seats, remains confident of the Mahagathbandhan’s return to power. Party leaders echo Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that he will take oath as Chief Minister on 18th November, reflecting their upbeat mood.
VIDEO | Patna: Bihar Assembly Election counting day -visuals from the RJD headquarters in Patna, where a poster reading “Alvida Chacha”, symbolically showing Nitish Kumar’s exit from the CM chair, has been put up.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 14, 2025
The RJD, which contested 143 seats, remains confident of the… pic.twitter.com/XZMYoxaEqy
Bihar recorded a historic 67.13% turnout in the two-phase election to its 243-member assembly on November 6 and 11, with 71.78% of women and 62.98% of men casting their votes.
Notably, women outvoted men by over 14 percentage points in seven Bihar districts, and by more than 10 points in 10 others. Patna was the only district where male turnout surpassed that of women.
The last time women in Bihar recorded a significantly higher turnout was in 2015, when 60.48% voted compared with 53.32% of men.
Pollsters were unanimous in predicting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to retain power with a decisive majority.
If the projections hold, it would mark a major setback for the opposition Mahagathbandhan, which has been striving to reclaim the politically crucial state after two decades.
But how accurate are the exit polls?
Well, according to DeKoder, the accuracy of exit polls in Bihar stands slightly lower at 71%, compared with the national average of 79%.
