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New Delhi: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which also includes Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU, is heading for a sweeping victory in Bihar, crossing the 204-seat mark in the 243-member Assembly and leaving the Mahagathbandhan in disarray.

Top Highlights of the Big Bihar Verdict

BJP leads in 93 seats, while Nitish Kumar’s JDU is ahead in 83. Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leads in 19, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha in four, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha in four constituencies.

The Mahagathbandhan is struggling, ahead in just 32 seats: Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD in 26, Congress in five, and CPI(ML)(L) and CPM in one each.

Jan Suraaj Party, launched by poll strategist Prashant Kishor and seen as a potential disruptor, has failed to take off; its vote share has fallen below even NOTA.

A surprise performer is Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which is leading in six seats, largely driven by votes from the Seemanchal region.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav faces an unexpectedly tight contest in Raghopur, his family stronghold, which he has represented since 2015.

Maithili Thakur, the 25-year-old singer making her debut on a BJP ticket, is leading in Alinagar. Meanwhile, Tejashwi's estranged brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who floated his own party, is trailing by more than 12,000 votes.

The Mahagathbandhan’s collapse comes as a major shock. In 2020, the RJD had bagged 75 seats and emerged as the single largest party, while the Congress contributed 19 seats, bolstering the Opposition’s strength.

In the last election, the Opposition had fallen short of the majority mark by just 12 seats, raising hopes of a potential victory this year. Instead, it now appears unlikely to even claim the Leader of the Opposition post.

For the BJP, the performance continues its upward trajectory from 2020, when it surpassed Nitish Kumar’s JDU for the first time and became the dominant partner in the alliance.

Although the JDU has made significant gains compared to its 2020 tally of 43 seats, it still trails the BJP by around 10 seats. Analysts say the NDA’s strong showing is partly due to heavy participation by women voters, traditionally a strong base for Nitish Kumar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday expressed his condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India over the tragic blast near Delhi's iconic Red Fort on Monday evening.

Benjamin Netanyahu has towered over Israeli politics for decades.

In a strongly worded statement, Netanyahu emphasised the unbreakable spirit of both nations in the face of terrorism, declaring that while terror may target cities, it can never break the spirit of resilient nations.

"To our dear friend Narendra Modi and to the brave people of India: Sara and I, and the people of Israel, send our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Israel stands strong with you in sorrow and in strength in this time," the statement read.

The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes has once again extended the deadline for citizens who were unable to participate in the state’s Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the “caste census.”

Those left out can now complete the enumeration online until November 30, news agency PTI reported.

The large-scale door-to-door survey, which concluded on October 31, recorded an 89.48% participation rate across the state. According to officials, nearly 4.22 lakh households had refused to take part, while another 34.49 lakh homes were found locked or vacant during the enumeration period.

To ensure everyone has a chance to be included, the Commission has provided an online self-declaration option available at https://kscbcselfdeclaration.karnataka.gov.in

The initial extension had allowed submissions until November 10, but the deadline has now been pushed further to the end of the month.

“In order to provide an opportunity to everyone to participate in the survey, the period for self-participation through the online link has finally been extended till November 30,” the Commission said in its official statement on Tuesday according to the agency.

The survey began on September 22 and was initially scheduled to conclude by October 7, but the deadline was extended multiple times to improve coverage. So far, data from 6.13 crore residents out of the state’s 6.85 crore projected population (2025 estimate) has been collected.

The ongoing exercise, which uses a 60-question scientific questionnaire, is expected to cost around ₹420 crore. The state had earlier spent ₹165.51 crore on a similar survey conducted in 2015, which was later discarded without being published.