Patna: The Nitish Kumar-led JD(U)-BJP alliance today appeared set for a two-thirds majority in the Assembly elections in Bihar, winning 14 seats, while the ruling combine was ahead in 180 of the total 243 seats for which trends were available.
The JD(U) was ahead in 98 seats, while partner BJP was leading in 82 seats. Opposition RJD-LJP alliance was way behind with just 33 seats.
Former chief minister and RJD candidate Rabri Devi was trailing behind her nearest JD(U) rival Satish Kumar by 200 votes in Raghopur and by 400 votes behind BJP candidate Vijay Kumar Singh at Sonepur.
Congress, which went alone in the elections, put up a dismal show and was leading in six constituencies. Others were ahead in eight seats.
Of the 14 results declared so far, BJP won 8, JD(U) four, besides an independent and a LJP candidate winning one seat each.
In the Patna Sahib Constituency, BJP minister Nandkishore Yadav won the elections defeating his nearest Congress rival.
In Bettiah, BJP Minister Renu Devi defeated Congress nominee Madan Mohan Tiwari by around 15,000 votes, while in Chanpatia, Chandramohan Rai of BJP trounced BSP’s Ejaj Hussain by over 13,000 votes.
Prabhat Ranjan Singh of JD(U) won the Bagaha seat defeating BSP’s Md Kamran by around 20,000 votes.
Among those leading were JD(U) ministers Vijendra Yadav (Supaul), Narendra Narain Yadav JD(U) (Alamgarh), Ram Parvesh Rai (Barauli) and Hari Prasad Shah (Laukaha) besides BJP minister Ashwini Choubey (Bhagalpur).
State Congress president Choudhury Mehboob Ali Kaiser and state RJD president Abdul Bari Siddique were trailing behind their JD(U) rivals in Simri-Bakhtiarpur and Alinagar respectively.
In the last elections in 2005, the JD(U)-BJP alliance got 143 seats with JD(U) securing 88 and BJP 55. RJD and LJP together had 64 seats in the outgoing House. Congress had nine.
Congress gave credit to the chief minister for the ruling combine’s success and said law and order in the state improved under his regime.
The BJP said that the trends indicated that the people’s mandate was for development, maintenance of law and order and good governance.
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said, “I want to thank the people of Bihar. It is their victory. Secondly, it is the victory of the chief minister and his colleagues.”
Source :  HT