NEW DELHI: Bihar moves into the verdict stage on Friday as counting began at 8 am, alongside bypoll results for eight assembly seats across six states as well as union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

As counting continues in the Bihar Assembly elections, trends point to a dominant performance by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), hinting at one of chief minister Nitish Kumar’s most decisive victories yet.Follow Bihar Election Results 2025 Live Updates
The Nitish Kumar–led alliance had opened up leads in 188 seats, with the BJP ahead in 85, JD(U) in 75, LJP in 22, HAM in 4 and the RLM in 3, according to the Election Commission.The opposition trailed significantly: the RJD was leading in 36 seats, Congress in 6, CPI(ML) in 7, and CPI-M and VIP in one seat each, taking the Mahagathbandhan total to 51. The BSP was ahead in one seat, while AIMIM led in three.

The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections were seen as a defining moment for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Yet, true to his political longevity, he once again managed to keep the state’s politics orbiting around him, as he has for more than 20 years. Despite frequent opposition jibes labelling him a “paltu ram” for shifting alliances, Nitish has maintained a steady hold on his support base. Much of his sustained appeal comes from his emphasis on concrete development measures and a governance model aimed at inclusive progress.Also read | Where is Jan Suraaj? Prashant Kishor’s party’s ambitious debut fails to show up in trends Bihar voted in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting for all 243 assembly seats will be completed on Friday, with results expected by evening.

This is the first assembly election in two decades conducted after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Also read | ‘Change will come’: Tejashwi Yadav confident as Bihar vote counting begins