Latest surveys predict Grand Alliance victory, Nitish Kumar to be Chief Minister

NEW DELHI: The latest election survey to hit the market has predicted that the JD(U)-RJD combine will secure a simple majority in the Bihar assembly elections with 137 seats.

An opinion poll conducted by Axis-My India poll for CNN-IBN said that the BJP-led NDA would be able to manage only around 108 seats. Another survey by India Today group-Cicero said the Grand Alliance would win 122 seats, against NDA’s 110.

The CNN-IBN poll conducted in all 243 constituencies of Bihar said the Grand Alliance would secure 41 per cent votes for the 137 seats. JD(U) would get 89 seats with 26 per cent votes, while RJD would get 48 seats and 15 per cent votes. Congress was predicted to win 20 out of the 40 seats it is contesting.

BJP would be the largest party with 95 seats and 29 per cent vote share but the NDA would manage only 108 seats. The survey gives BJP allies LJP, RLSP and HAM only 13 seats and 9 per cent vote share.

The pre-poll survey showed a surge in favour of Nitish Kumar. He gained 8 per cent popularity. Nitish is also the most favoured for the post of chief minister with 43 per cent of those polled supporting him. BJP had won 94 seats, while JD (U) got 141 seats in the 2010 assembly polls in Bihar when the two fought the election as allies.