2nd phase of polling in Bihar sees historic 67.14% voter turnout

New Delhi, Nov 11: Exit polls on Tuesday projected a victory for the ruling NDA in the Bihar Assembly elections, while Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, making its debut, is predicted to draw a couple of seats.

NDTV reported results of seven major exit polls: Matrize, JVC, Chanakya Strategies, P-Marq, People’s Insight, Dainik Bhaskar and People’s Pulse that forecast a strong performance by the BJP-JD(U) alliance.

However, analysts cautioned that exit polls are not always accurate.

The second and final phase of polling saw a historic voter turnout of 67.14% (provisional) across 122 constituencies in 20 districts, deciding the fate of 1,302 candidates, including several ministers in the Nitish Kumar government. Voting began at 7 am and concluded peacefully at 5 pm, with enthusiastic participation across urban and rural areas. Leaders from across the political spectrum, including JD(U) acting president Sanjay Jha, Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Purnea MP Pappu Yadav, and state Congress chief Rajesh Ram, were among those who cast their votes. Bihar Police sealed the 700-km border with Nepal for 72 hours as a security measure, with DGP Vinay Kumar saying vigilance had been intensified in view of the Monday Delhi blast. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 14.