Exit Polls: NDA is Predicted to Sweep Bihar Elections, JSP May Turn out a Cropper
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 11: As voting for the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Tuesday with the second and last phase of polling completed, exit polls have predicted a return for the NDA’s alliance with a clear majority by securing 130 to 160 seats in the 243-member State Assembly with the “Mahagathbandhan” of the opposition alliance formed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and other parties likely to fall short with only 70 to 100 seats despite all its promises to bring change in Bihar.
An overall voter turnout of 66.90% has been recorded after two phases of polling in Bihar, State Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said. In the second phase of the polls, 68.79% voting has been recorded, with data from 2,000 polling booths yet to be tallied, he said. In the first phase of polling held for 121 constituencies in 18 districts on November 6, the State had recorded its highest voting percentage ever in history with 64.66% turnout.
Even as two pollsters — Axis My India and Today’s Chanakya — said they would release their exit polls on Wednesday, all the other agencies have predicted clear majority for the NDA though varied on the number of seats expected to be won by the two alliances.
All the pollsters were also unanimous in their predictions that the newly-formed Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) launched by the poll strategies-turned politician Prashant Kishor could not impress the Bihar voters in winning seats forecasting a range of 0-8 seats for it and if anything he may have only further damaged the cause of the opposition “Mahagathbandhan.”
While P-Marq predicted the NDA to win 142-162 seats, Mahagathbandhan 80-98 and Jan Suraaj 1-4, JVC survey said NDA is likely to win 135-150 seats, Mahagathbandhan 88-103 seats, Jan Suraaj may 0-1 seats, with others may secure 3-6 seats. The People’s Insight predicted 133-148 seats for the NDA, 87-102 for the Mahagathbandhan and 0-2 for Jan Suraaj, while Matrize Exit Poll forecast the NDA likely getting between 147-167 seats, the Mahagathbandhan 70-90, and the Jan Suraaj between 0-2 seats, the DVC Research polls survey projected NDA to win 137-152 seats, Mahagathbandhan 83-98 seats, Jan Suraaj may win 2-4 seats, with others securing 4-8 seats, the Dainik Bhaskar said NDA may get 145-160 seats, Mahagathbandhan may secure 73-91 seats, Jan Suraaj is unlikely to open its account, with other parties and independents winning 5-10 seats, and according to People Pulse poll survey NDA may get 133-159 seats, Mahagathbandhan to secure around 75-101 seats, while Jan Suraaj may win 0-5 seats, and others may get 2-8 seats.
The bypolls are also simultaneously taking place in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam and Nagrota, Rajasthan’s Anta, Jharkhand’s Ghatshila, Telangana’s Jubilee Hills, Punjab’s Tarn Taran, Mizoram’s Dampa, and Odisha’s Nuapada constituencies. The results of the bypolls will also be announced along with the Bihar elections results on November 14.
