Patna, July 9: Political parties in Bihar have high stakes in the 24 Legislative Council seats, the results for which would be declared today.

Votes for the same were cast on Tuesday. About 94 per cent of the 1.33 lakh voters from urban local bodies and three-tier panchayati raj institutions cast their votes in these elections. A total of 152 candidates were in the fray but the main fight is going to be between candidates from the BJP-led NDA and those from the ruling JDU, in alliance with the RJD, Congress and NCP.

The BJP had fielded candidates at 18 places and given four seats to the LJP and two to the RLSP. The JDU and RJD fielded 10 candidates each while the Congress and NCP are contesting three and one seats respectively.

Parties across the political divide maintained the outcome of the elections would reflect the people's mood as their (people's) representatives voted for candidates of their choice.

"It was not a small election. Over a lakh voters voted in it and the voters were spread across the state. The outcome would definitely be an indicator of people's mood, given the fact that those who voted are people's representatives," senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.

Sushil cited an example from his opponent's camp to underline how political parties were taking this election very seriously. "Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who generally used to keep a low profile during Council elections, went to Muzaffarpur to take part in the nomination process of his candidate and also addressed an election meeting there. It shows that our political opponents, too, are taking the election seriously," he said.

He claimed the outcome of this election would have an impact on the coming Assembly elections.

JDU national general secretary and Bihar minister Shyam Rajak maintained that the outcome of the election would reflect people's mood. He went on to add that people of Bihar would, through their elected representatives, make known their anger against the BJP in these elections.

Congress president Ashok Choudhary and RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha echoed the views of Rajak and both maintained that in a democracy elections always reflect people's sentiments.

Leaders across parties made claims of good performance. Modi claimed the NDA would better its performance of 2009 whereas JDU, RJD and Congress leaders claimed the outcome would be an improved version of what happened in last year's Assembly bypolls. Of 10 seats, bypolls for which were held just months after the general elections, the JDU-RJD-Congress alliance had won six and the BJP just four.