The confusion over exit polls for the Bihar elections seemed to be continuing over even trends in counting, with different television channels showing different coalitions as being ahead.
While NDTV showed the NDA as leading, anchor Barkha Dutt called the election at around 9 am on Twitter.
NDTV calls the election. BJP and allies all set to form the government in bihar with 145 to 149 seats
#BiharBlockbuster
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT)
November 8, 2015The TV-18 Network was the first to call the election in favour of the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) by 10 am. This led to some rather piquant situations for the various spokespersons of the party, who seemed to be as taken aback by the swing in fortunes as the viewer was.
Firecrackers were first set off at the BJP headquarters in Patna at 8.30 am but matters changed quickly by 10 am when the MGB seemed to have pulled ahead and a loud cheer was heard from inside RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's residence.
After that, most TV channels too started reflecting this trend.
( This article was first published in The Hindu on November 8, 2015 )