Bihar election results: Advantage NDA as JD(U)-BJP alliance edges past RJD-Congress as of 10 am

 The JD(U)-BJP alliance is now ahead on as many as 119 seats while the RJD-Congress combine is leading on 114.  

After trailing Grand Alliance during early counting, the NDA is now gaining ground and is ahead on 119 seats compared to its rival's 114. The majority mark is 122.

EC trends at 10 am for 104 of 243 seats are as follows:

·         NDA leading on 52 seats - BJP 28, JDU 20, Vikassheel Insaan Party 4

·         Mahagathbandhan ahead on 46 seats - RJD 29, Congress 12, Left 5

·         BSP has a lead on two seats, Lok Jan Shakti Party on three while AIMIM is ahead on one

Around 9:30 am, the Grand Alliance was ahead on 123 constituencies and the NDA was leading on 108.

The BJP has always played second fiddle in Bihar, especially to Nitish Kumar. Bihar is the only Hindi belt state where the BJP has never held the Chief Minister's post.

But if the trend continues, this result may deprive Nitish Kumar of Big Brother status in the alliance.

Postal ballots are votes of government employees, mainly contractual teachers, besides Covid patients. The contractual teachers were unhappy with Nitish government.