Counting day: Bihar set for Nitish wave?

Patna: Counting for the Bihar Assembly elections 2010 started at 8 AM on Wednesday amidst tight security arrangements.

The counting will take place for all 243 constituencies.

The first results of the six-phase polls are expected around noon.

Counting will be held at 41 centres, mostly in the towns' district headquarters, where exclusive deployment of paramilitary forces have been made.

The CNN-IBN and The Week post-assembly poll survey has projected a landslide victory for the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Estimated voteshare

The JD(U)-BJP alliance is likely to get 46% votes, RJD-LJP alliance is likely to get 27% votes while the Congress is likely to get 9% votes.

On the basis of the Vote Projection, CNN-IBN has come up with it's own seat projection for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2010.

Seat projection

The JDU-BJP combine is likely to get 185 to 201 seats.

The RJD-LJP combine is likely to get 22 to 32 seats.

The Congress is likely to get between 6 and 12 seats.

Others including the Left are likely to get between 9 and 19 seats.

But RJD supremo and former chief minister Lalu Prasad dismissed all exit polls and expressed confidence that his combine would regain power in the state.

"I have heard a lot of derogatory words by the media and have gone through media trial also. I have felt annoyed also. Media is biased against Lalu. They never accept Lalu. There is no basis of the exit polls of the various media groups," said the RJD chief.

In the outgoing House, the ruling parties JD(U) and BJP have 88 and 55 seats respectively. RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP have 54 and 10 respectively. Congress has nine seats.

122 is the magic mark required for any coalition or party to form a government.