New Delhi: The campaign for the first-round of the three-phase assembly elections in Bihar concluded on Monday, after a long drawn intense campaign which saw politicians of all hues trading barbs and hurling invectives against their rivals. Despite the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, election rallies have still witnessed large crowds.
With politicos having refrained from canvassing on Tuesday as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI), last-ditch efforts are being made by their supporters in a hushed manner to woo voters.
On Wednesday, October 28, polling will be held in 71 assembly segments spread over 16 districts of the state, including Naxal-hit Gaya, Rohtas and Aurangabad. As many as 1,006 candidates will test their luck in the first round, and of whom 114 are women, according to a report by The Hindu.
Also read: Bihar Elections: No Matter the Results, the BJP Is Likely to Come Out on Top
As per the seat-sharing arrangement, of the 71 seats, JD (U) nominees are running for election in 41 constituencies, while BJP has fielded its candidates in 29. On the Mahagatbandan’s side, RJD candidates will be contesting on 42 of the 71 seats, while Congress has its nominees fielded in 21 assembly seats. The Chirag Paswan-led LJP, which has decided to go solo this time around, has its nominees in the fray in 41 assembly segments.
The first phase of voting will see nearly half-a-dozen ministers of Nitish Kumar cabinet, Krishnandan Varma, Prem Kumar, Jay Kumar Singh, Santosh Kumar Nirala, Vijay Sinha and Ram Narayan Mandal, test their luck.
High stakes battle
The high-stakes battle in Bihar is primarily fought between two political formations, NDA and the Mahagatbandan. With the incumbent Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial face, NDA main alliance partners JD(U) and BJP have campaigned on the issues of having provided corruption-free government, revocation of Article 370, and Triple Talaq. It has launched a strident attack on Tejashwi Yadav-led Mahagatbandan by alleging that RJD had run a Jungle Raj in Bihar between 1990 and 2005.
On the other hand, Opposition has largely slammed the NDA for failing to tend to the needs of migrant workers of Bihar during the Coronavirus-induced lockdown and the distressing levels of unemployment in the state. The promise of 10 lakh jobs to unemployed youth in the state has been a major selling point of the grand alliance. The promise has apparently struck a chord with jobless youth, and Yadav’s rallies have often witnessed huge turnouts, especially from the youth.
Also read: Is Bihar in For a Surprise With the Surge in Turnout at Opposition Rallies?
With LJP deciding to go solo, fears abound in the NDA campaign that it could play a spoilsport by splitting votes and ruining the chances of the ruling alliance.
The second and third phases of elections are scheduled for November 3 and November 7. In the second phase, polling will be held in 94 constituencies spread over 17 districts, and the third will see voters cast votes in 78 assembly segments in 15 districts. The results of 243 assembly seats will be declared on November 10.