The Janata Dal (United) was the first among political parties to get into celebratory mood even before the official announcement of its candidate winning the Supaul seat.
JD(U) party workers raised “Nitish Kumar Zindabad” slogans, as soon as trends of the Bihar assembly election results began to throw up a lead for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at around 11am on counting day Tuesday.
The BJP, which won two seats by 2pm, initiated its celebrations much later, with blowing of conch shells amid chants of Har Har Mahadev and smearing of gulal (colour) on each other.
The state party offices of the JD (U) and the BJP on Patna’s Beerchand Patel Marg wore a near deserted look in the morning, with results of exit polls ostensibly playing on the minds of party workers and its leaders. Most exit polls had predicted the Mahagathbandhan or the Grand Alliance, comprising the RJD, Congress and the Left Parties, to fare better than the NDA.
By afternoon, however, the picture was clear, with the NDA almost certain to romp home safe and dry.
Party workers at the JD (U) office burst firecrackers and broke into a jig, raising pro-Nitish slogans in anticipation of his returning as the chief minister. The fact that the JD (U) was losing ground as compared to the last assembly elections in 2015, when it won 71 seats, did not dampen the spirit of its party workers, as they rejoiced in merriment.
The BJP, which was leading on 74 seats at 2.30pm, with indications of emerging as the single largest party, was initially discreet in celebrations, as it chose to wait and watch. The shadow of having initiated premature celebrations in 2015 loomed large over its leaders. Trends, based on counting of postal ballots, had given the NDA an early lead, only to end with 53 seats.
Later, by 2.30pm, party workers were smearing gulal (colour) and beating drums as part of celebrations in anticipation of a resounding victory in Bihar polls.
