The Election Commission has said 146 of the 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly elections have been declared while trends for 97 seats are now in the public domain. The Commission’s website shows that 153 results have been declared, with the BJP winning 45 seats, its alliance partner the JD (U) winning 27, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal has won 49 and its ally the Congress has won eight.
A party or a political alliance has to reach 122 seats to form a government in the state.
The EC officials indicated that counting of votes in the by-polls is also in the last stages in one constituency in Odisha and in eight in Uttar Pradesh. Counting of votes for the by-polls for 54 Assembly constituency in 11 states, including 28 in Madhya Pradesh, two in Karnataka, and one in Telangana, was taken up along with the counting for the Bihar State Assembly.
The EC officials were clear that the Commission has never been under pressure from any political party when it comes to declaring results, something which is being alleged by some political parties in Bihar.
The EC officials indicated that they could brief the media again close to midnight.