By Kavita Mistry 
Will Nitish Kumar take oath as chief minister a tenth time? Can Tejashwi Yadav lead Mahagathbandhan to victory? Is Prashant Kishor really the ‘X factor’ this election season? Answers to all these questions and more will be revealed today as the battle for Bihar enters its final leg.
Polling in Bihar was held in two phases (6 and 11 November), with the state witnessing a record voter turnout of 67.13 percent—highest since 1951.
Though early exit polls predicted an NDA majority, some pollsters have stuck their neck out by predicting that the battle for Bihar will go down to the wire.
Bihar has 243 assembly seats, which makes 122 the majority mark.
Stay tuned to ThePrint for the latest on Bihar election result.
LIVE | Bihar election result
11.40 am: ‘This is a direct contest between EC & people of Bihar’
Congress leader Pawan Khera reacts to early trends. “This is a direct contest between the Election Commission of India and the people of Bihar. Let’s see who wins. I’m not even talking about parties. I’m talking about a direct, straight contest between CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the people of Bihar…”
He says, “These are just early trends, we’re waiting a bit. The initial trends certainly suggest that Gyanesh Kumar is gaining an upper hand over the people of Bihar… I can’t underestimate the people of Bihar. They have shown courage. They showed it despite the SIR. Now, let’s see in the coming hours how effective Gyanesh Kumar will be.”
#WATCH | #BiharElection2025 | Congress leader Pawan Khera says, “As I said, the initial trends in itself show that Gyanesh Kumar appears to be succeeding against the people of Bihar. This fight is not between the BJP, Congress, RJD, and JDU. This is a direct fight between Gyanesh… pic.twitter.com/SMF8joiXBI
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
11.35 am: NDA headed for landslide victory
The ruling bloc crosses the majority mark in current trends with leads in 189 seats, according to EC website.
Watch live coverage of the Bihar assembly election results:
11.30 am: Janshakti Janata Dal chief Tej Pratap Yadav trails in Mahua
Former Bihar minister and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav is trailing in the fourth spot in Mahua seat in Vaishali district by a margin of 10,776 votes, after four out of 26 rounds of counting.
Tej Pratap, the Janshakti Janata Dal chief, had earlier expressed confidence of winning the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) stronghold. This is the same constituency from where he won in 2015 by a margin of 28,000-plus votes.
This time, his immediate rival is RJD candidate and incumbent MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan. The other candidates in the fray are Sanjay Kumar of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Indrajeet Pradhan of the Jan Suraaj Party. Sanjay Kumar is in the lead as of 11.30 am.
The 37-year-old was banished from the RJD and the family in May. The bitterness has remained since then, with his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav campaigning against his brother in Mahua. In turn, Tej Pratap landed in Raghopur constituency— where Tejashwi is contesting the polls—to campaign for his nominee Prem Kumar Yadav.
While Tejashwi reminded voters to be loyal to the party and not the family, Tej Pratap made an emotional appeal to his voters, casting himself as the elder brother who was wronged with harsh punishment.
“He is still a child. After the elections, we’ll hand him a rattle… If he goes to our area, we’ll go to his area too. Then we’ll go to Raghopur,” the elder brother had said regarding Tejashwi campaigning against him in Mahua.
11.15 am: Tejashwi trails in Raghopur
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is trailing in Raghopur by 1,273 votes against his nearest rival, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Satish Kumar Yadav.
Tejashwi is the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan, and is hoping to be elected from the seat a third consecutive time.
A Yadav-dominated constituency, Raghopur has been the RJD first family’s pocket borough. Tejashwi’s father Lalu Prasad Yadav has won it twice, in 1995 and 2000, and his mother Rabri Devi thrice, in 2000 by-election and both times in 2005.
In fact, the constituency has remained within the family for about two decades now, except for the 2010 assembly elections, when Satish Kumar Yadav, then contesting on a Janata Dal (United) ticket, beat Rabri Devi by over 13,000 votes.
The seat came back to the RJD in 2015, when Tejashwi trounced Satish Kumar, contesting on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) symbol, by over 22,700 votes to become the deputy chief minister. In 2020, Tejashwi retained the seat, beating the same rival by over 38,000 votes.
11.10 am: Dy CM Samrat Choudhary ahead in Tarapur
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is leading by 3,327 votes in the Tarapur assembly constituency after four our of 30 rounds of counting, according to the EC website.
A Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), Choudhary in the past had contested from his home district Munger. Facing a triangular contest in Tarapur, he is pitted against the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Arun Shah and Jan Suraaj Party’s Dr Santosh Singh.
Choudhary, an OBC leader, has also served as the state president of Bihar in the past. He joined the BJP in 2017 after starting his political journey with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in 1999 and switching to the Janata Dal (United) in 2014. He had also served as a minister in the government headed by Rabri Devi, wife of RJD veteran Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The BJP candidate’s father Shakuni Choudhary is a founding member of the Samata Party with several stints as MLA and MP. His mother, Parvati Devi, had once represented Tarapur constituency. Choudhary in the past won two assembly elections (2000 and 2010), while he also lost twice (in 2005 and 2015).
Mewa Lal Choudhary of JD(U) is the sitting MLA from the constituency and has retained the seat in the 2015 as well as the 2020 assembly elections. The seat is considered a stronghold of the JD(U).
11.00 am: ‘Nitish Kumar hi banenge mukhyamantri’—Jitan Ram Manjhi
As NDA looks at a massive win, Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has said that they have always been confident of a thumping victory.
10.45 am: NDA takes lead in 177 seats—EC data
According to early trends, Nitish Kumar is on track to retain chief minister’s position for another term, with the ruling bloc taking lead in 177 seats. The Mahagathbandhan trails by a major gap with lead in 53 seats. Figures as of 10.45 am, according to the EC website.
10.25 am: BJP takes lead in Nuapada bypoll in Odisha
In the bypoll in Odisha’s Nuapada, BJP’s Jay Dholakia is leading by 12,815 votes. Jay is the son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia. He had switched to BJP from BJD after his father’s death. Rajendra Dholakia was the sitting MLA from the Nuapada constituency.
10.20 am: BJP’s Maithili Thakur leads in Alinagar
Folk singer Maithili Thakur, the BJP candidate from Alinagar, is leading by 3,004 votes against RJD’s Binod Mishra, after two out of 24 rounds of counting. This is the 25-year-old’s political and electoral debut.
Alinagar is part of the Darbhanga district, and Thakur hails from Benipatti in the neighbouring Madhubani district, about 35 km from the Mithilanchal region in north Bihar.
Thakur had risen to fame after her performance and participation in Zee TV’s show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs’ in 2011. She was also made state icon for Bihar in 2023 by the Election Commission.
10.15 am: Osama Shahab leads in Raghunathpur
Early trends show Osama Shahab, the son of the late Mohammad Shahabuddin, leading in Raghunathpur. The 31-year-old is making his political debut on an RJD ticket.
In the 2020 elections, Harishankar Yadav won the seat for the RJD with over 42 percent of the vote share. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw strong competition, with JD(U) winning the Siwan parliamentary seat, which includes Raghunathpur, signalling shifting dynamics.
Osama’s 2025 campaign capitalised on his father’s legacy while promising development, unity, and inclusive growth. With a voter turnout of 61.45 percent, the election was a tight triangular contest reflecting the diverse community fabric, including Muslims, Yadavs, and Rajputs.
9.50 am: Akalis lead in Tarn Taran, Congress ahead in Rajasthan’s Anta
Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is leading in Punjab’s Tarn Taran assembly constituency, with AAP’s Harmeet Singh Sandhu trailing her by 374 votes at the end of 3 of 16 rounds of counting.
In Rajasthan’s Anta, Congress candidate Pramod Jain is ahead after the first of 20 rounds of counting.
Early trends by the Election Commission also put Naveen Yadav of the Congress candidate ahead in Telangana’s Jubilee Hills assembly constituency after the first round of counting, with nine more rounds to go.
BJP’s Jay Dholakia is leading in Odisha’s Nuapada, and JMM’s Somesh Soren in Jharkhand’s Ghatsila. Devyani Rana of the BJP is ahead in Nagrota, one of two assembly seats in J&K where bypolls were held, while JKNC’s Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Mosavi is leading in Budgam. In Mizoram’s Dampa, Dr R Lalthangliana is ahead, according to early trends by the EC.
9.45 am: Mahagathbandhan a distant second in early trends
ECI data shows the Opposition alliance is leading in 33 seats, while NDA is inching towards victory in 102. Figures as of 9.50 am.
9.15 am: NDA leads in 41 seats—ECI data
Data from the Election Commission of India shows NDA leads in 41 seats and the Mahagathbandhan in 12, as of 9.25 am.
9.00 am: NDA leads in early trends
Early trends, according to News18, show the NDA leads in 130 seats and the Mahagathbandhan in 66. Figures based on 201 out of 243 seats, as of 9 am.
8.30 am: BJP’s directive to all leaders
In the wake of the 10 November Red Fort blast, the Bharatiya Janata Party has issued directions to all leaders to keep celebrations low-key and to not burst firecrackers if the NDA wins today.
8.15 am: ‘A change is about to come’
Mahagathbandhan’s CM face and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said he is confident that the alliance will win and form the government.
#WATCH | Patna: Bihar Assembly Election Results | Mahagathbandhan’s CM face and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, “We are going to win. Thanks to everyone. A change is about to come. We are forming the government” pic.twitter.com/p6pVag0e96
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
8.00 am: Counting of votes begins
The fate of candidates in all 243 constituencies across 38 districts of Bihar to be decided over the next few hours. Counting also begins for Assembly by-elections in eight constituencies across six states and 1 Union Territory.
Tight security arrangements are in place across all constituencies. Visuals from Muzaffarpur and Patna:
#WATCH | Bihar: Police and Administration on alert in Muzaffarpur, preparations in place for the counting of #BiharElection2025 pic.twitter.com/nnq2z8AHXh
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
#WATCH | Bihar: Horse-mounted Police personnel carry out patrolling in Patna, as counting for #BiharElection2025 begins. pic.twitter.com/Bi7iKyD3j5
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025
7.30 am: Why Bihar polls saw highest ever women voter turnout
From the Special Intensive Revision conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to women receiving Rs 10,000 under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY), a cocktail of factors in the build-up to the Bihar assembly elections has paved the way for the state to witness its highest-ever women voter turnout since Independence.
The two-phase assembly polls concluded Tuesday, with a total voter turnout of 66.91 percent, the highest ever in Bihar since 1951, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The first phase saw a turnout of 69.04 percent of women voters, compared to 61.56 percent of men voters. In the second phase, 74.03 percent of women voters cast their ballot, compared to 64.1 percent of men voters.
In all, according to provisional data released by the ECI, Bihar this assembly polls saw a record-breaking participation of women voters—71.6 percent—the highest since 1962, when the men’s and women’s voter turnouts seem to have first been taken into account.
Political commentator and psephologist Sanjay Kumar calls it a “remarkable shift in Indian politics”, saying, “We see this happening in many states, but a nine percentage point gap between men and women turnout is something we have not witnessed in the past—either in Bihar or in any other state.”
Some experts call it an “empowerment story”. The state government’s Rs 10,000 benefits to women might have been a contributing factor. Others call it a statistical outcome of the Bihar SIR by the ECI.
Read Apoorva Mandhani’s report.
7.00 am: What exit polls say
The NDA is headed for a sweeping victory in Bihar, early exit polls predicted Tuesday, with a strong showing by the Janata Dal (United) likely to help the ruling coalition deny the Mahagathbandhan a shot at power. If the projections hold, Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, written off by many and battling perceptions of poor health, appears poised to take the oath of office a tenth time.
The INDIA bloc, made up of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, CPI(ML-L) and a handful of smaller parties, may struggle to reach the three-digit mark, while Prashant Kishor’s upstart Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), which became a major talking point during the campaign, is expected to draw a blank, multiple pollsters said.
Five years ago, exit polls had tilted toward the Opposition, with several predicting that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav would end Kumar’s two-decade reign. In the end, though, Yadav fell just short, even as the RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats in the 243-member Assembly.
Some exit polls now suggest the Opposition may win even fewer seats than what the RJD alone secured in 2020, forecasting a landslide for the NDA, which includes the JD(U), BJP, LJP (Ram Vilas) and a few smaller outfits.
Bihar exit polls predict ‘fir se Nitish’, double digits for Tejashwi-led Oppn, duck for Jan Suraaj
Sourav Roy Barman @Sourav_RB reports#BiharPollsWithThePrinthttps://t.co/orm6S0CQiu pic.twitter.com/XfqPaoRk60
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) November 11, 2025
6.30 am: Raghopur to Tarapur—key seats in play
While each of the 243 seats in Bihar will play a role in who forms the next government, a few contests are being more keenly watched than others. From Raghopur where sitting MLA Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is in the fray, to Tarapur and Lakhisarai where Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha are locked in a tough contest. Other key seats are Chapra, Alinagar, and Chanpatia, where three political novices are making their electoral debut—Bhojpuri performer Khesarilal Yadav (RJD), folk singer Maithili Thakur (BJP) and former journalist Manish Kashyap (Jan Suraaj).
Another closely watched contest is Mokama, where the ruling Janata Dal (United) has fielded local strongman Anant Kumar Singh. The seat was won by his wife in a bypoll in 2022 on an RJD ticket.
6 am: Counting of postal ballots to begin at 8 am
On Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) released a press note stating that counting of postal ballots will begin at 8 am Friday, followed by EVM counting at 8.30 am.
It reiterated that counting of postal ballots is to be completed before the penultimate round of EVM counting. It also said that 4,372 counting tables have been set up across Bihar’s 243 assembly constituencies where returning officers and more than 18,000 counting agents appointed by candidates will oversee the counting process.
“During EVM counting, Control Units are brought to the counting tables round-wise and shown to the counting agents to verify that the seals are intact and serial numbers match the records in Form 17C (Part I),” it explained. The poll panel added that the number of votes recorded in EVMs is cross-verified with entries in Form 17C and in case of any mismatch, “VVPAT slips from that polling station are to be counted mandatorily”.
In its press note, the EC also said that no re-polls were requested by the 2,616 candidates in the fray this time, or the 12 recognised political parties.
In the run-up to the election, poll panel had come under intense criticism over its decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which resulted in the final electoral roll comprising 7,45,26,858 electors.
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