Patna: As the Janata Dal (United) braces for the outcome of the Bihar Assembly elections, a striking poster featuring Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with the tagline “Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai” (The tiger is still alive) appeared outside his residence at 1 Anne Marg in Patna. The poster, put up by party workers, expresses gratitude to all religious communities for supporting the JD(U) during the polls and signals their strong desire to see Nitish Kumar secure a fourth term as Chief Minister.
Another similar poster in Patna hailed Kumar as the “protector” of all communities, including marginalised groups.
Security around the Chief Minister’s residence has been tightened as counting of votes commenced at 8 a.m.
In a recent statement, the Patna District Administration announced that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the Model Code of Conduct in the district until November 16 to maintain public order. The District Magistrate has also enforced prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which include a complete ban on victory processions until the Model Code is lifted.
Early trends in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections place the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead in 53 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan leads in 29 constituencies. The Jan Suraaj party has taken the lead in two seats.
Counting is underway for all 243 constituencies, with officials first tallying postal ballots before moving on to EVM votes from 8:30 a.m. The process is being monitored under heavy security, featuring 4,372 counting tables and more than 18,000 counting agents. While most exit polls point to a comfortable victory for the NDA, some indicate an advantage for the Mahagathbandhan.
According to the ECI’s official press note, 2,616 candidates from 12 recognised political parties contested the two-phase election held on November 6 and 11. Notably, no re-polling was requested in any constituency.
The primary battle is between the JD(U)-BJP-led NDA and the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan, with newcomer Jan Suraaj emerging as a significant third front.
