Bihar election verdict: Siwan, Alinagar, Raghopur and more - Key battles and their noteworthy winners LIVE

The first few hours of counting in Bihar set the tone fast. Early trends around 10 am showed that the NDA had surpassed the halfway mark, leading in 159 seats, with the BJP ahead in 69 and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) leading in 67. Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) was leading in 14 seats and had a strong conversion rate of 53 per cent. JD(U) had a 70 per cent conversion rate, while the BJP sat close behind at 67 per cent.

The Mahagathbandhan, on the other hand, struggled to keep pace. They were leading in only 76 seats. RJD held most of that ground with 51 leads, but their conversion rate looked weak at 38 per cent, according to ANI. Congress, leading in 17 seats and CPI(ML), leading in five seats, showed modest numbers.

Smaller players had glimmers but no big breakthroughs. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj led in two seats. AIMIM held onto a single lead.

Let's take a look at the standout contests shaping the election map (Winners to be updated once the results are announced).

Sitting MLA: Tejashwi Yadav

Winner: To be announced

Raghopur always pulls national attention. Tejashwi Yadav, the sitting MLA, is attempting to secure a third consecutive win in a seat that has long been the stronghold of the Lalu Prasad Yadav family. BJP's Satish Kumar has lost here twice already.

Sitting MLA: Chandra Shekhar

Winner: To be announced

Madhepura has never elected a non-Yadav MLA, and locals are known to say with pride, "Rome Pope ka, Madhepura Gop ka" (Rome belongs to Pope and Madhepura to a Yadav). Chandra Shekhar is chasing a fourth win. Kavita Saha, JD(U), is pitching herself as a break from tradition and hopes to become the first woman and non-Yadav MLA to win this constituency.

Sitting MLA: Mishri Lal Yadav (Vikassheel Insaan Party - VIP)

Winner: To be announced

Singer Maithili Thakur's political debut electrified this seat. Her campaign leaned heavily on Maithili identity but also drew backlash for proposing the renaming of the constituency to Sitanagar. Binod Mishra, who finished second last time, is meanwhile fighting with the RJD banner behind him.

Sitting MLA: Dr C N Gupta (BJP)

Winner: To be announced

Chhapra turned into a full-blown spectacle once Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav joined the race. BJP’s Chhoti Kumari is trying to keep the seat that the BJP has held since 2010.

Sitting MLA: Anant Singh

Winner: To be announced

Mokama's politics took a murderous turn with the killing of a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav, allegedly by associates of the JD(U) candidate. Anant Singh, one of Bihar's most notorious "bahubalis" (strongmen), has changed parties several times but keeps winning. RJD's Veena Devi, meanwhile, is trying to break that streak.

Sitting MLA: Alok Ranjan

Winner: To be announced

Traditionally a BJP seat, Saharsa has a habit of surprising people. In 2015, the seat swung to RJD and may surprise this time as well. BJP's Alok Ranjan is defending the seat, but the IIP’s Indrajeet Prasad Gupta has drawn huge crowds. His support from Pan and Tanti voters has grown enough that the RJD pulled IIP into the alliance earlier this year.

Sitting MLA: Awadh Bihari Choudhary

Winner: To be announced

This is a heavyweight clash. Siwan carries legacy, it's the home of India's first president and the turf once dominated by 'bahubali' Mohammad Shahabuddin. Choudhary is a senior RJD figure. Mangal Pandey is one of BJP’s top names. In 2020, the contest came down to just 2 per cent margin.

Sitting MLA: Rajeev Kumar Singh (JD(U))

Winner: To be announced

Nitish Kumar handed this seat to Samrat Choudhary as part of the new NDA arithmetic. For Choudhary, this is personal territory, with both his parents having represented Tarapur earlier. Arun Kumar Sah lost by a hair last time and wants to make a comeback.

Sitting MLA: Chetan Anand (JD(U))

Winner: To be announced

Chetan Anand left JD(U) after winning here last time and has now moved to the NDA fold. JD(U) meanwhile, has fielded Shweta Gupta, while RJD is betting on Navneet Jha, grandson of veteran leader Raghunath Jha.