Patna:
Political parties waited with bated breath for the outcome of the Bihar Assembly elections with counting of votes for all the 243 constituencies to be taken up on Wednesday.
The counting will begin at 8 am amid tight security arrangements and the first results of the six-phase polls are expected around noon. The Election Commission's official website will provide constant updates of trends and results.
Exit polls have projected a landslide victory for the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. But RJD supremo and former chief minister Lalu Prasad has dismissed the exit polls and expressed confidence that his combine would regain power.
Nitish on his part said the 'hue and cry' raised Lalu Prasad over exit poll surveys was 'unjustified' and that whatever be the people's mandate it should be acceptable to all.
Counting of votes for the Banka parliamentary constituency, where a by-election was held, will be taken up simultaneously.
The overall voter turnout was 52 per cent with women coming out in larger numbers. While 50.77 percent of the eligible male voters exercised their franchise, it was 54.85 per cent in the case of women.
Counting will be held at 42 counting centres, mostly in the district headquarters towns, where exclusive deployment of central para-military forces has been made, he said.
For each of the 243 constituencies, there will be 14 tables each manned by two counting staff and a special counting micro-observer, he said.
The EVMs brought from strong rooms will be opened under the supervision of senior officials, observers and Election Commission authorities from 8 am.
In the outgoing 243-member 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.
Development issues appeared to override caste factor in the elections spread over a month in the politically crucial state.
The elections were marked by a spirited campaign by top leaders of various parties in which Nitish Kumar on one side and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on the other clashed over development issues. RJD leader Lalu Yadav also campaigned extensively to woo voters in his inimitable style.
Barring the incident when two policemen were killed while defusing a bomb during the sixth and final phase on Saturday, polling remained by and large peaceful with voters ignoring boycott calls given by the Maoists.
Among prominent contestants are former chief minister and Lalu's wife Rabri Devi, who contested from two seats - Raghopur and Sonepur.
National and regional parties fielded 1,225 candidates. The Congress was the only party which fielded its candidates in all 243 constituencies followed by the BSP which contested 239 seats. The JD(U) contested 141 seats and its ally BJP 102.
RJD contested on 168 seats and ally LJP in 75.