A stellar performance by the BJP enabled the ruling NDA to attain a simple majority in the Bihar assembly notwithstanding a sharp fall in the tally of the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, according to final results announced early Wednesday.
The saffron party, which had contested 110 seats, won 72 and was leading in another two while the JD(U) which fought 115, won only 42 and was ahead in another. With four seats each won by junior allies HAM and VIP, the NDA is poised to have 125 seats in its kitty, three more than the number required for a simple majority.
The opposition Grand Alliance fell way short of the magic mark. The total number of seats won by all its five constituents stood at 110. Nonetheless, the RJD emerged as the single largest party in the assembly bagging 75 seats.
Its vote share at 23.03 per cent was also the highest for any single party in the elections.
The Congress managed to win only 19 of the 70 it had contested. The Left parties, though, sprang a surprise winning 16 out of the 29 seats the CPI(ML), the CPI and the CPI(M) had contested.
The performance of CPI(ML), the most radical among the mainstream Left groups, stood out as it won 12 of the 19 seats it contested. The CPI and the CPI(M) won two seats each.
Asaduddin Owaisi”s AIMIM clinched five seats while its alliance partner in Bihar, Mayawati”s BSP, bagged one.
Chirag Paswan”s Lok Janshakti Party, which pulled out of the NDA and contested nearly 150 seats, managed to win just one.
The winners also included an Independent.
