Patna: The high-stakes Bihar Assembly Election 2025 has reached its final act, with both phases of polling now complete and exit polls painting a clear edge for the ruling NDA. Early projections across multiple agencies indicate that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s alliance is on course to retain power, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan trails behind and Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj Party struggles to make a mark in its debut outing.
According to exit polls by Matrize, People’s Insight, Dainik Bhaskar, People’s Pulse, and News18, the NDA is projected to secure between 130 and 167 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly — comfortably above the majority mark of 122.
The Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and backed by the Congress and Left parties, is expected to bag 70–100 seats, while Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), contesting its maiden election, may end up with 0–5 seats.
Here’s how major surveys stack up:
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News18 Mega Exit Poll: NDA 140–145 | Mahagathbandhan 85–95 | JSP 0–5
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Dainik Bhaskar: NDA 145–160 | Mahagathbandhan 73–91 | JSP 0
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Matrize: NDA 147–167 | Mahagathbandhan 70–90 | JSP 0–2
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People’s Pulse: NDA 133–159 | Mahagathbandhan 75–101 | JSP 0–5 | Others 2–8
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DVC Research: NDA 137–152 | Mahagathbandhan 83–98 | JSP 2–4
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JVC Survey: NDA 135–150 | Mahagathbandhan around 80
Despite the strong exit poll wave, analysts caution that these figures are projections based on voter interviews and may not fully reflect the final results, which will be declared on November 14.
Record-Breaking Voter Turnout
Voter enthusiasm marked the 2025 Bihar polls, described as a referendum on Nitish Kumar’s leadership. The second and final phase on November 11 recorded a record 67.14% turnout, surpassing the 65.08% seen in the first phase on November 6.
Over 3.7 crore voters exercised their franchise across 122 constituencies in the final phase, while 3.75 crore voters voted in the first. Both alliances — the ruling NDA (BJP-JD(U)-LJP) and the Mahagathbandhan (RJD-Congress-Left) — have claimed the turnout reflects a “wave” in their favor.
What’s Next
As the election dust settles, all eyes now turn to November 14, when the official results will reveal whether Nitish Kumar secures yet another term, or if the Tejashwi-led INDIA bloc manages to spring a surprise in one of India’s most politically charged states.
Disclaimer: Exit poll figures are based on voter surveys and may differ from the actual results.
