Bihar readies for D-day as counting to begin at 8 am today

Patna: Bihar might be on the cusp of a major generational shift in politics as it braced for Tuesdays counting of votes for the Assembly election, with most pollsters predicting a landslide for the five-party Grand Alliance led by the young RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Vote-counting will begin at 8 am at 55 centres across 38 districts where the outcome will decide the fate of the Nitish Kumar government that has helmed the state for a decade and half. Early trends, that is, which party or candidate is leading on a particular Assembly seat, are likely to trickle in by 10 am.

Most exit polls have predicted a rout for the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine and a resounding victory for the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) led by RJDs 31-year-old chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, who has thrown down the gauntlet at redoubtable Nitish Kumar, the battle-scarred veteran more than twice his age.