The final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded with a historic voter turnout, even as all major exit polls forecasted a comfortable win for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition.

Historic Voter Participation

Bihar achieved its highest-ever voter turnout in the second and final phase of polling, registering 67.14% participation, surpassing all previous polling records since 1951.

The state’s Chief Electoral Officer attributed the surge in participation partly to the deletion of over 65 lakh ineligible names from electoral rolls, improving the accuracy of voter lists. The Election Commission also noted that logistical improvements, such as expanding the polling network and reducing the maximum number of voters per booth, helped facilitate the record turnout.

Regionally, the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal area recorded the highest average turnout at 73.77%. In contrast, the Magadh region saw the lowest participation at 63.30%.

Exit Poll Projections

Following the completion of voting, exit polls were unanimous in projecting that the incumbent NDA coalition would secure a tally well above the majority mark of 122 seats in the 243-member House. The NDA is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)).

In contrast, the RJD-led Opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) was projected to win around 100 seats or less.

Summary of Key Exit Poll Predictions for the 243-Seat Assembly:

The counting of votes for all constituencies is scheduled to take place on November 14