Patna | With NDA leading in 186 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, the party's state president Dilip Kumar Jaiswal on Friday exuded confidence that the ruling coalition will return to power with a thumping majority.
He said the trends reaffirmed what the ruling coalition had sensed "on the faces and in the words" of voters through both phases of polling.
The NDA was leading in 186 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan lagged at around 46, signalling a sharp tilt in favour of the BJP-led coalition.
Within the NDA, the BJP led in 82, the JD(U) in 75 seats, with allies LJP (RV) in 22 and HAM(S) in four, RLM in three, adding heft to the front.
The Mahagathbandhan's early tally rested largely on the RJD's leads in 35 seats, followed by seven of the Congress, and six of its Left partners CPI(ML) Liberation and one of the CPI(M).
The AIMIM was leading in three, VIP and BSP in one each.
Speaking to PTI Video, Jaiswal said the public mood was never ambiguous.
"During the first and second phases itself, it was clear from the voters' faces and their words that the NDA government was retaining power," he said, adding that Bihar's electorate had placed its trust in "the world's most popular leader, Narendra Modi," and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whom he called the state's "vikas purush".
Even as the opposition dismissed the early figures as inconsequential, Jaiswal insisted the contours of the mandate were visible.
"These are trends. I agree. Exit polls are also not exact. But I have full faith in the people's mandate. Just wait and watch," he said.
On recurring questions on Nitish Kumar's leadership, the BJP leader bristled at what he termed "media-manufactured narratives." When reminded of posters outside Nitish Kumar's residence declaring "tiger zinda hai", Jaiswal brushed it aside with a smile, "His stature is bigger than a tiger. Much bigger."
