The RJD emerged as the single largest party in Bihar as counting for the Assembly elections continued well into the evening of Tuesday to gradually unspool an intense contest between the NDA and the Tejashwi Yadav-led Maha Gathbandhan

The Opposition alliance of the RJD, the Congress and Left parties, which started the day by putting up a close fight only to later fall back from the NDA’s tally that seemed to surge after two-three hours of counting, picked up pace again and narrowed the gap by evening. Supporters as well independent poll watchers agreed the race was extremely tight in over 70 seats where the margin of leads was less than 1,000 votes.

After about 10 hours of counting, no formation was clearly ahead in the race although NDA seemed to have an edge. As of 6.45 pm, the ruling NDA had won, or was leading in, 121 seats while the Opposition alliance had won, or was leading in, 114 seats, according to figures collated from the Election Commission of India website. The BJP had won, or was leading in, 73 seats and the JDU in 41. The RJD had won or was ahead in 76 seats, the Congress in 20 and the Left parties in 87 seats. As of the others, the BSP was ahead in 1 seat, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen in 5 and Independents 2.

Longer than usual

Counting of votes will take longer than usual and continue till late in the night because of a 63 per cent increase in the number of EVMs, the Election Commission explained.

EC officials told the media in Delhi that over 1 crore votes were counted till around 1.30 pm out of nearly 4.16 crore votes polled in the three-phase elections. Out of nearly 7.3 crore voters, 57.09 per cent had cast votes in the polls.

To ensure social distancing norms put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission had increased the number of polling stations from nearly 65,000 in the 2015 assembly polls to 1.06 lakh. This meant an increase in the number of electronic voting machines as well.

"We hope to finish the counting as per procedure late tonight," said Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Bihar Chandra Bhushan Kumar.

Exit polls get it wrong

The NDA’s show in Bihar has defied exit poll predictions that Nitish Kumar could lose the chief minister’s chair to 31-year-old Tejashwi Yadav. The numbers put out by the pollsters varied but they all gave a clear lead to the Mahagathbandhan of the RJD, Congress and the Left parties over the National Democratic Alliance.

The broad trend in Bihar, showing the ruling NDA marching ahead of the RJD-led Grand Alliance, perked up the mood among BJP and JD(U) workers, even as RJD and Congress activists hoped for things to change in their favour.

At the BJP office at Beer Chand Patel Path, where there was not much activity for the past three days after exit polls projected a majority for the Grand Alliance, several leaders and party workers started coming in with beaming faces.

State BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal was in the office monitoring the results closely.

‘Double engine worked’

Bihar BJP spokesman Sanjay Singh Tiger said the BJP-JD(U) coalition had worked under the "double engine" governments -- NDA dispensations at the Centre as well in the state _ and the people of Bihar had blessed it.

"The people know Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar can speed up development of the state and hence they have reposed their faith in the NDA," Tiger told reporters.

While Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is watching counting of votes at his official residence, some leaders and party workers started thronging the party office, a stone's throw away from the office of the BJP and the RJD in the heart of the city.

Will Nitish continue as CM?

Bihar JD(U) president Vasistha Narayan Singh said they were confident since the beginning that the people of the state would like the ruling coalition to continue and expedite the development process. Asked about the BJP performing better than the JD(U) and if Chief Minister Kumar will continue in the post, Singh said, "When top BJP leaders themselves have said that Kumar will be the CM irrespective of the individual scores of the alliance partners, is there any need to clarify this further?"

JD(U) spokesman Ajay Alok said the people of Bihar had faith in Nitish Kumar and that was reflected in the trends in favour of the NDA.

In the RJD camp, which was on cloud nine till Monday with almost all exit polls indicating the party-helmed coalition coming to power in the state and its leader Tejashwi Yadav becoming chief minister, the initial euphoria appeared to be dipping.

A crowd of Tejashwi supporters that had gathered outside the 10 Circular Road residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi expecting a victory was thinning around noon. But some ardent supporters, carrying photographs of Tejashwi in a Delhi Daredevils jersey from his IPL days and also him taking oath as CM, stayed put in the hope that things would change for better with the progress of counting.

‘It's like a T-20 match’

Bihar RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari said, "It's like a T-20 match. The results will be decided only when the last ball of the match is bowled."

In the Congress camp, initial excitement appeared to have evaporated with the trends showing Grand Alliance trailing the NDA. Scores of Congress leaders from across the country, including general secretary Randeep Surjewala, who had arrived here in the hope of party forming a government with Mahagathbandhan partners, were glued to TV channels hoping the trends would change in accordance to the exit polls.

"We are not far behind, things will change in our favour," state Congress spokesman Rajesh Rathor told PTI.