Patna, Dec 10 (IANS): The ongoing counting of the Tirhut Graduate MLC by-poll has delivered unexpected developments, with JD(U) candidate Abhishek Kumar Jha trailing in the fourth position after two rounds of counting.
The results so far reflect a significant setback for the NDA, which had heavily campaigned for this seat.
Independent candidate Banshidhar Brajwasi, a teacher by profession is leading the race with a comfortable margin, securing 3,133 votes in the first round and maintaining the lead into the second round.
His vote count is nearly double that of his closest rival, signalling strong support among the graduate voters. Vinayak Gautam of the Jan Suraj Party is in second place with 1,610 votes, followed by Gopi Kishan of RJD in third place with 1,234 votes. JD(U)'s Abhishek Kumar Jha has garnered 1,184 votes, positioning him fourth, a surprising outcome given his status as the frontrunner before the polls.
The total voter turnout was approximately 75,000, with around 4,000 votes invalidated. The independent candidate’s strong lead suggests dissatisfaction with established parties.
By Monday evening, 20,000 first-preference votes were counted, with six more rounds to go. With about 10,000 votes counted per round, the result is expected by Tuesday.
The seat was vacated by JDU's Deveshchandra Thakur following his election as a Lok Sabha MP.
With six more rounds of counting to go, the results could still change, but the decisive lead of Bansidhar Brajwasi puts him in a strong position to clinch this seat. The outcome will serve as an important political indicator, especially regarding the NDA's standing in Bihar's graduate constituencies.
The MLC by-poll for the Tirhut Graduate MLC by-poll was held on 5 December, the election saw a voter turnout of 47.50 per cent. The voting was conducted across 89 polling centres and 106 sub-polling centres.
A total of 1 lakh 54 thousand, 828 graduate voters from Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, and Sheohar districts were eligible to vote, comprising 107,401 male and 47,419 female voters and their votes will decide the fate of 18 candidates.