An India Today-Cicero exit poll on Thursday predicted a hung assembly in Bihar, with the BJP-led coalition winning 120 seats to the 117 by the Grand Alliance.
Any party or combine would need 122 seats to secure a simple majority in the 243-member assembly.
It gave the BJP alliance a range of 113 to 127 seats and the Grand Alliance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar 111 to 123 seats. Four to eight seats could go to other parties.