Mahagathbandhan Is Living In Illusion: BJP’s Prem Kumar

With the exit polls predicting an NDA victory in the Bihar polls, veteran BJP leader and eight term MLA Prem Kumar on Thursday expressed strong confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is poised to form the next government in the state.

The two-phase polling for the Bihar Assembly was held on November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.

Kumar, the eight-term MLA, also dismissed the Opposition’s optimism, saying that the Mahagathbandhan is “running away from reality” and will soon face the truth reflected in the exit polls.

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, “NDA is going to form the government in Bihar… The opposition is running away from reality. Mahagathbandhan is living in illusion, and its illusion will soon be dispelled.”

Prem Kumar, the Minister of the Bihar Co-operative Department and the BJP’s sitting MLA from Gaya Town since 1990, is looking to defend his seat. Kumar, an Extremely Backward Caste leader, has had a strong hold over the seat.

Congress has again fielded Akhaury Onkar Nath against him. In the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls, Kumar won by a margin of 9 per cent, gaining 66,962 votes out of the total 2,69,781 votes cast, while in the 2015 and 2010 elections, Kumar won with margins of 17.7 per cent and 27.5 per cent, respectively.

Exit polls had projected a win for the NDA in the Bihar assembly elections.

The exit poll by Axis My India has predicted a victory for the ruling NDA in Bihar, but with a margin that is less than most other exit polls that were released on Tuesday, soon after the conclusion of polling in Bihar.

The Axis My India predicted that the NDA would get 121 to 141 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly. It predicted a strong fight by the Mahagathbandhan, giving it 98 to 118 seats, which is more than the number of seats predicted by other surveys. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which made its debut in the election, is predicted to get two seats. The exit poll indicates a two per cent difference in vote share between the two alliances.

Axis My India predicted the NDA would get 43 per cent of the votes and the Mahagathbandhan would get 41 per cent. Jan Suraaj may secure 4 per cent of the votes, and others could get 11 per cent of the votes, the poll survey said.

The People’s Pulse poll survey gave 133-159 seats to the NDA, 75-101 seats to the Mahagathbandhan, and 0-5 seats to Jan Suraaj. Others, it said, are likely to get 2-8 seats.

People’s Insight’s survey predicted 133-148 seats for the NDA, 87-102 seats for the Mahagathbandhan, 0-2 seats for Jan Suraaj, and 3-6 seats for independent candidates.

The JVC survey predicted that the NDA is likely to win 135-150 seats, the Mahagathbandhan 88-103 seats, Jan Suraaj may win 0-1 seats, while others may secure 3-6 seats.

According to the DVC Research polls survey, the NDA is projected to win 137-152 seats, the Mahagathbandhan 83-98 seats, Jan Suraaj 2-4 seats, and others 4-8 seats. (ANI)