JD(U) candidate Mahabali Singh held a narrow lead in the Karakat Assembly constituency as counting continued through the afternoon. Trends from the early rounds suggested a close contest, but Mahabali Singh gradually strengthened his position by Round 14 of the 31-round process. Voting for the constituency took place on November 11.

CPI(ML) Liberation candidate Arun Singh followed closely and remained only a few votes behind, signalling a tense battle for the top spot. Jyoti Singh, wife of Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh, trailed both leading candidates despite attracting attention as an independent contender. Karakat has witnessed multi-cornered contests in the past, and this election continued that pattern.

As per the latest update at 2:15 pm, Mahabali Singh had secured 36,229 votes. Arun Singh held 36,210 votes, keeping the fight extremely tight. Jyoti Singh received 9,308 votes.

The National Democratic Alliance also moved past the 200-seat mark in the state, reinforcing Nitish Kumar’s long-term political influence. The Karakat result reflects shifting local preferences and an intense electoral battle.