Two opinion polls by TV channels released on Thursday predicted totally different results for the Bihar assembly polls with one giving the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan a comfortable majority and the other suggesting it is an extremely close race with the BJP-led alliance having its nose marginally in front.

The Times Now poll, done by CVoter, predicted about 119 seats for the NDA with the Mahagathbandhan snapping on its heels with 116. While the poll gave a range of eight seats either side of these projections, the middle of the range forecast would mean both sides will fall just short the majority mark of 122 in the 243-member house. A Times Now-CVoter poll done a fortnight earlier had predicted 117 seats for the NDA and 112 for the rival alliance.

The CNN-IBN poll, conducted by Axis, meanwhile projected that the Nitish-led front would win 137 seats while the NDA would fail to reach the three figure mark and settle at 95 seats. Like the other poll, this one too gives a range of eight seats either side of these averages for the forecast.

The CNN-IBN poll also projects seats for individual constituents of the two alliances. It predicts that the BJP will win the vast majority of the seats won by the NDA, or 82 out of 95. Interestingly, it is Jiten Ram Manjhi’s Ham which is projected to be second biggest winner in this alliance with eight seats, Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP winning a mere two and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP just three.

On the other side, the JD(U) is projected to win 69 seats, the RJD 48 and the Congress 20. What that projection indicates is that the BJP will emerge as the single largest party in Bihar for the first time and yet finish on the losing side.

The polls come just four days before the first round of polling in the state assembly elections on Oct 12.

