Bihar Election results 2020: Counting begins, early trends project a neck and neck contest

Will Bihar see a fourth term for incumbent Nitish Kumar or will the state get a new chief minister in young Tejashwi Yadav? The answer will be known shortly with the results of counting of votes on Tuesday in the recently concluded and bitterly fought Assembly elections.

Here are the highlights:

• Early trends have started coming in which shows a neck and neck contest with NDA and Mahagathbandhan (MGB) leading in 24 and 25 seats respectively
• BJP's Shreyasi Singh is leading from Jamui, reports TOI
• Strongrooms opened, counting has started

• Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been imposed in and around the counting centres to prevent the gathering of people.

• 19 companies of paramilitary forces will guard strongrooms

• 24X7 surveillance by CCTVs inside counting centres and strong rooms have been locked and controlled by the paramilitary force.

• The ECI has set up 55 counting centres in all the 38 districts of the state, which had voted in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 to decide the fate of 3,755 candidates.

• If Tejashwi Yadav wins today, he will be the third leader from his family to become chief minister - after father Lalu Yadav and mother Rabri Devi. This has happened earlier only with the case of the Abdullahs in Jammu & Kashmir
• Exit polls have predicted an edge for Tejashwi Yadav

• Three major exit polls - India Today-Axis, Today's Chankaya and Republic-Jan ki baat - have predicted a comfortable majority for the Opposition Mahagatbandhan comprising the RJD, Congress and Left parties. Others like Times Now- CVoter have predicted a hung house with a narrow edge to the Opposition.