Bihar election results: The counting could go to 35 rounds
Patna:
As leads from the counting of votes Bihar showed the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead and widening the gap with the opposition, the BJP held off on the victory celebrations that usually start when it crosses the majority mark in leads, or when it is at least in striking distance of power.
Most political parties refused to commit to any clear trend or result, pointing out that the counting of votes would be a far longer process because of the coronavirus safety measures.
Bihar is the first state to vote in the time of COVID-19 and it has impacted the process.
The Election Commission said the number of polling stations was more than doubled this time but the number of tables had not been increased for the sake of distancing. The number of polling stations were raised from 72,723 earlier to 1,06,515.
The counting could go to 35 rounds, so the first clear results could be out later in the afternoon, said Election Commission officials.
Election Commission sources said only around 15 per cent of the votes had been counted as of 12.15 pm.
Sources in the BJP said since the counting was slow, only 10 per cent of the votes would have been counted by 10 am, when the NDA was seen crossing the majority mark of 122 in the 243-member assembly.
Usually, before noon, 30 per cent of votes would have been counted.
But the possibility of the results fluctuating was high because in some 30 seats, the margin was less than 500 around 11 am. And in more than 60 seats, it was less than 1,000.
Sources said the party would not open the boxes of sweet just yet, and was prepared for a long day ahead.
“The picture will only be clear between 12 pm and 2 pm,” said a senior BJP leader.
Though there were ups and downs in the leads, what was consistent was the BJP maintaining its lead and its ally Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United lagging behind, staring at the prospect of becoming junior partner.
Bihar voted in three rounds from October 28 to November 7.
