Close contest in Bihar but NDA to have edge over Mahagathbandhan, predicts Axis My India’s Exit poll

New Delhi: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to return to power in Bihar but with a slender margin over the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan (MGB), Axis My India forecasted in its Exit poll on Wednesday.

The leading polling agency has predicted that the NDA under Nitish Kumar will win between 121 and 140 seats, Mahagathbandhan could secure victory in 98-118, while the Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party is expected to end up between 0-2 seats in the 243-member Assembly.

According to Axis My India Exit poll projections, the NDA is likely to garner 43 per cent vote share while the MGB is seen settling for a 2 per cent lower vote share at 41 per cent.

The highlight of the Exit polls is Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD emerging as the single largest party in the high-stakes Assembly elections with 67-76 seats on its own, effectively registering a strike rate of over 50 per cent.

Both BJP and JD(U) are seen bagging 18 per cent vote share each, while Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV), Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM and Upendra Kushwaha-led RLM are expected to fetch 5 per cent, 1-1 per cent vote share each.

In the MGB bloc, RJD is seen securing 24 per cent vote share, Congress 10 per cent and Mukesh Sahani-led VIP 2 per cent votes. The left parties with CPI(ML), CPI and CPI (M) taken together will fetch 5 per cent votes.

Jan Suraaj is expected to command 4 per cent vote share while Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM could claim over 1 per cent votes, thereby belying wide expectations that the huge voter turnout was a mandate against the incumbent Nitish Kumar government.

The projections by Axis My India stand in contrast with other pollsters, as most of them gave a clear and decisive lead to the ruling NDA and a big setback for the grand alliance.

For the ‘newbie’ Jan Suraaj, Axis My India’s predictions remain on similar grounds with other pollsters as the party, which became the talking point of the Bihar elections, is expected to stay at the bottom with likely victory in 0-2 seats.

IANS