IANS/New Delhi

The exit polls on the Bihar election may be sharply divided over the question of who would form the next government in the state, but the Bharatiya Janata Party has already started preparing for its victory celebrations at its 11 Ashoka Road headquarters in New Delhi.
The main fight is between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the grand alliance of Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress.
A visit to the BJP headquarters a day before the results revealed a pace of frenetic activity not seen on normal days. From leaders to party cadres, everyone was busy preparing for D-Day while exchanging views on the outcome of the poll.
The results will be known today.
Colourful tents have been put up in the backyard of the property adjoining the BJP headquarters, and party cadres and leaders were seen rushing around, making arrangements.
Though party workers said arrangements were being made to accommodate members for watching the results together and participating in television debates, the underlying celebratory sentiment could not be hidden.
“LCD screens are being put up and high tea will be provided,” said a worker who was busy making the arrangements.
“We were confused till yesterday despite the prediction by Today’s Chanakya. But when NDTV predicted an NDA government, we became sure of victory,” said an official.
Senior BJP leaders, however, said their confidence was based on their reading of the ground reality in Bihar.
“We don’t believe in exit polls. We have worked hard on the ground and expect a decisive mandate of two-thirds majority. We got support from every section of the society,” BJP general secretary Arun Singh said.
Another general secretary Anil Jain said: “Exits polls have done their work. But our internal assessment is that NDA will get at least 140 seats.”
A leader, said to be one of the BJP backroom boys deployed in Bihar, said: “When NDTV is giving us a majority, then the wind seems to be blowing in our favour. Other than this, the reason behind our confidence about winning is because most of the backward class and youth voters of Bihar have supported the BJP.”
Whether the BJP’s celebratory mood will continue will be clear before noon today.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said it would not support the NDA to form the government in Bihar in case of a hung assembly.
Senior NCP leader Tariq Anwar also said it may have a rethink on joining the grand alliance.
“The NCP is not going to support the BJP-led NDA to help it to form the next government in case the grand alliance does not get majority,” he said, expressing the hope that his party would win some seats.
Last month, the NCP walked away from the Third Front to contest the assembly elections on its own.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP’s decision to walk out was a major set back for Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, the main party of the Third Front.
Also yesterday, Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said he was confident that the grand alliance will win 190 of the 243 seats.
“We will win 190 seats. There’s panic among (BJP president Amit) Shah and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. They know they are about to lose.”