Patna, Nov 14 (IANS) Maithili Thakur, popular folk singer and BJP candidate from Alinagar Assembly seat in Bihar’s Dharbhanga, was racing ahead of RJD’s Binod Mishra, as per the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) early trends.

Thakur, who is making her electoral debut, is leading with 4,113 votes, the ECI trends showed at 10.40 a.m.

With her strong fan base in Mithilanchal playing a decisive role, the 25-year-old singer from Benipatti in Madhubani district was nominated by the BJP as a strategic move to leverage her popularity among youth and cultural enthusiasts to bolster its appeal in the region, where Alinagar has emerged as a key battleground seat.

Meanwhile, the NDA has surpassed the significant milestone of 122 seats in the Bihar Assembly elections, with early trends from the ECI indicating the alliance leading in over 150 seats.

In the 243 members of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, 122 seats are needed for a majority.

According to ECI, as of 10.30 a.m., the ruling NDA was leading in 172 seats — BJP with 73, JD(U) with 77, LJP(RV) with 18 and HAMS with four.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan was leading in 54 — RJD in 42, Congress in seven, and CPI(ML)(L) in five.

The counting process for all 243 Assembly seats commenced at 8 a.m., beginning with the scrutiny of postal ballots. This was followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes from 8.30 a.m., taking place under extensive multi-tier security arrangements across the state.

Candidates from both alliances expressed confidence in their performance. Leaders from the NDA asserted that the people of Bihar had reposed faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantees and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s work toward the state’s development.

The Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD, claimed that Bihar had “voted for change” and expressed optimism that Tejashwi Yadav would form the next government.

–IANS

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