Counting of votes for biennial elections to eight Bihar Legislative Council seats began at 8 am on Tuesday amid tight security, an official said.
The counting will decide the electoral fate of 90 candidates in four graduates seats and 60 in four teachers constituencies, he said.
Polling, held on October 23, recorded a turnout of 82.85 per cent in teachers constituencies and 53.42 per cent in graduates seats.
The Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Kosi graduates constituencies had a total of 4.92 lakh eligible electors, while the Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Saran teachers seats had 40,253.
The counting is taking place at the Bihar School Examination Board's regional office in Purnea for the Kosi graduates seat, SVN Rajkiya Kanya Uchcha Madhyamik Vidyalaya for the Saran teachers constituency and the MIT administrative block in Muzaffarpur for both Tirhut seats, said a senior official of the chief electoral officer's office.
In Patna, the counting started at Bankipur Government Girls' Senior Secondary School, while votes are being counted for two Darbhanga constituencies at Khel Bhawan-cum-Vyayamshala Bhawan, he said.
The terms of the eight sitting MLCs will expire on November 16.
The ruling BJP has fielded candidates for four seats, while its ally JD(U) is contesting the remaining four. The Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, is contesting all eight seats.