Young BJP candidate and folk singer Maithi Thakur appeared headed for a commanding victory in Alinagar on Friday and used her early surge to credit Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the National Democratic Alliance's strong showing across Bihar .

Speaking to India Today TV , Thakur marked the moment by dedicating the Panchayat track 'O Raja Ji' . By the fifth round of counting, she had built a strong lead of 7,833 votes in the constituency she pledged to rename as Sitaput.

Statewide trends set the backdrop for her confidence. By late morning, the NDA had crossed 190 seats in early leads, well above the 122 needed for a majority. The INDIA bloc lagged at 49 seats as counting continued across the state and numbers shifted round by round.

Within the ruling alliance, the BJP led in 84 s

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