'This will be the mother of all victories': BJP as IANS-Matrize Exit Poll predicts NDA sweep in Bihar

Patna, Nov 12 (IANS) As the IANS-Matrize Exit Poll projected a sweeping victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, with a 48 per cent vote share and over 150 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said this would be “the mother of all victories.” The party expressed confidence that under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership, the NDA would form the government with a record majority.

Speaking to IANS, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said, “I think the Nitish Kumar government has done very good work in the state. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has made several important contributions to the development of Bihar. The voter turnout has been high, showing people’s faith in his leadership. During his tenure, he has taken good decisions and even provided Rs 10,000 to women in Bihar.”

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah-Deo echoed the optimism, saying, “Since yesterday, the buzz has been that under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the NDA government will once again secure a clear majority. Almost every exit poll is predicting a massive mandate, and none are suggesting otherwise. This will be the mother of all victories. We are confident that under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, the NDA will form the government with a record-breaking majority.”

Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari said, “The exit polls reflect the true sentiments of the people of Bihar. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Nitish government has worked remarkably for the state’s overall development, focussing on education, health, safety, and employment.

"Our NDA government has lifted Bihar from the days of lawlessness and placed it firmly on the path of progress. This has strengthened people’s trust in our governance, and the record-breaking voter turnout is proof that the public has given its blessing to the Modi-Nitish double-engine government.”

Bihar Minister Santosh Kumar Suman added, “The people are the real rulers. We do not believe in celebrating; we believe in working. If the public’s decision goes in our favour, we will immediately start working with renewed effort.

"Across Bihar, there was a strong wave in support of the NDA, and it seems we may even surpass the 2010 record. However, this is not the time for celebration. The NDA believes in action, and from the day we receive the public’s mandate, we will begin our work.”

Meanwhile, the Congress rejected the exit poll predictions, saying such surveys often prove to be inaccurate.

Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, “Many times, exit polls turn out to be correct, and other times they are proven wrong. That’s why we prefer to wait and see how the situation unfolds. So far, most exit polls are showing results in favour of the NDA, but we will see the real outcome on November 14.”

Congress leader Rajesh Thakur also questioned the credibility of exit polls, saying, “The real results will be out after November 14. In Jharkhand, exit polls had predicted that the NDA would win 42 to 50 seats, but the final results were quite different. Similarly, in Bihar, the projections of 130 to 150 seats may be exaggerated. Such narratives are often created to influence public perception.”

Meanwhile, the double-engine government under Nitish Kumar is set to return to power with a thumping mandate in the hotly-contested Bihar Assembly elections, while Mahagathbandhan is seen getting relegated to the distant second spot, according to the IANS-Matrize Exit Poll.

As per the exit poll projections, the BJP-led NDA is set to garner 48 per cent vote share, effectively translating into almost two-thirds majority in the 243-member Assembly, while the Mahagathbandhan is seen getting limited to 37 per cent vote share, which barely translates into 70-90 seats for the RJD-Congress-led alliance.

Another major highlight of the exit polls is the resurgence of Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), which came under much scrutiny in the run-up to elections, owing to the Chief Minister's poor health.

The exit poll shows a strong consolidation of JD(U) voters in the elections, and the party may also emerge as the single-largest outfit, leaving behind its ally BJP and rival RJD.

BJP is seen steadying its performance, much like the previous election in 2020 and is expected to fetch 65-73 seats by garnering about 19 per cent vote share.

RJD is projected to get 21 per cent vote share and bag 53-58 seats, while its biggest ally, Congress, is expected to settle with just 7 per cent vote share, translating into 10-12 seats.

The exit poll predictions, if they turn out to be true on November 14, mean a resounding mandate for the Nitish Kumar government and disastrous performance for the Mahagathbandhan despite the latter mounting a resonating campaign of ‘vote chori’, trying to galvanise people over alleged electoral fraud in the elections.

The smaller constituents of the NDA, namely Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha are expected to bag 2, 5 and 2 per cent vote share respectively. Together, they are expected to add 12-16 seats in the NDA's kitty, thereby taking its total tally to 147-167 seats.

For the Mahagathbandhan, CPI(ML), CPI, CPI (M) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) are expected to cobble together 9 per cent vote share, resulting in about 10-18 seats. With the numbers of all constituents together, the grand alliance is seen settling at the 70-90 seats mark.

Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party is seen making an impressive mark on its debut with 5 per cent vote share, while the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is seen garnering 1 per cent vote share.

While Jan Suraaj is projected to win 0-2 seats, the AIMIM may see its candidates winning in 2-3 constituencies.

Other parties taken together are likely to get 9 per cent vote share and command victory in about 0-5 seats.

The projections of vote percentage and seat share by IANS-Matrize Exit Polls come with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent. More than 66,000 people were surveyed for arriving at the conclusion, which included views of over 31,000 males, over 19,000 females and over 15,000 young voters, taken till November 11 – the second phase of polling, which registered a record voter turnout.

--IANS

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