Bihar Elections: The race for Bihar’s next chief minister remains wide open until November 14, when election results will be declared. However, a new Axis My India exit poll has offered a glimpse into public sentiment, and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav appears to be the people’s top choice for the state’s next chief minister.
According to the survey, 34 per cent of respondents want Tejashwi Yadav to become CM. Another 2 per cent prefer Lalu Prasad Yadav, while an additional 2 per cent believe someone else from the RJD should hold the post. Before the elections, the Mahagathbandhan had already declared Tejashwi as its CM face and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani as its deputy CM face.
Nitish Kumar Trails at Second Spot
On the NDA side, no formal CM face was announced ahead of the polls. However, the exit poll shows that 22 per cent of voters still favour Nitish Kumar as their preferred chief minister, putting him in second place behind Tejashwi.
BJP, Chirag Paswan, and Others in the Mix
The poll also found that 14 per cent of respondents want the next CM to come from the BJP, though no specific name was mentioned. Another 2 per cent backed Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary from the BJP as their choice for the top post.
Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan received the support of 5% of voters, while Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor was preferred by 4 per cent. Around 3 per cent of respondents said they would like to see a Congress leader as the next CM, and 12% either opted for “others” or said they were “undecided.”
Voting Completed in Two Phases
Polling for all 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar has been completed across two phases, on November 6 for 121 seats and November 11 for the remaining 122. The final results, to be declared on November 14, will reveal whether the public’s preference for Tejashwi Yadav translates into a real political shift.