As the Bihar Assembly election trends unfold, it seems the National Democratic Alliance has surged far ahead while the Mahagathbandhan struggles to keep pace. But in these high-stakes contests between these two major blocs, one highly publicised newbie is nowhere in the numbers: Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party. The party, which was expected to change the game in Bihar politics, has miserably failed in its debut.
What do the early Bihar trends indicate?
As per a report by the Times of India, the early trends indicate a strong performance by the NDA, with both BJP and JD(U) registering impressive gains. The alliance seems to have crossed the majority mark in quite a few constituencies, reflecting voter confidence in the ruling bloc. The Mahagathbandhan, though performing better in pockets, lags overall, with the RJD outpacing its alliance partner Congress but still failing to challenge the NDA's dominance in widespread areas.
RJD surges, Jan Suraaj trails behind
According to the report, interestingly, even as the RJD emerges as one of the front-running individual parties in several seats, the Jan Suraaj Party is largely invisible on the trend sheets. Wherever its vote share is visible, this remains marginal and does not seem to impact outcomes in competitive constituencies. The party had initially declared its intention to contest all 243 assembly seats in Bihar, naming over 200 candidates. But a series of defections, forced withdrawals, and other nomination setbacks saw its numbers reduced.
Also Read | Bihar Polls 2025: Top constituencies and candidates to keep a close eye on | A complete guide
Exit polls had forecast a tough run
Exit polls before the results had projected a dismal performance of Jan Suraaj, with most pollsters giving a maximum of five seats to the party, indicating low traction among the voters. As per the report by Times of India, Prashant Kishor, one of the most celebrated poll strategists-turned-politicians, had set ambitious targets for his party and declared that failing to achieve them would amount to a personal defeat. With the results now streaming in, the trends point to the fact that Jan Suraaj's debut has failed to make a substantial dent in the vote shares of either NDA or MGB.
