Campaigning concluded Tuesday for Bihar's high-stakes first phase assembly elections, featuring heavyweight contenders like Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha alongside INDIA bloc's chief ministerial hopeful Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Polling across 121 constituencies in 18 districts commences Thursday, followed by the second phase on November 11, with results slated for November 14. This contest in Bihar's 243-seat assembly pits the NDA against the INDIA alliance, with Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party emerging as a potential disruptor, though BJP's poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan insists it's a straight NDA-opposition duel.
The INDIA bloc unites RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), VIP, CPI, CPI(M), and the nascent Indian Inclusive Party, while NDA fields BJP, JD(U), LJP(RV), HAM, and RLM. In 2020, NDA secured 125 seats against the opposition's 110, amid 1,314 candidates vying in phase one. Of the total seats, 203 are general, 38 reserved for SCs, and two for STs. Electoral dynamics hinge on pressing concerns like unemployment, migration, corruption, inflation, floods, poor education, and healthcare deficits, amplifying voter scrutiny in a state long plagued by governance debates.
INDIA portrays the polls as a mandate for transformative change, countering NDA's narrative of safeguarding progress against a feared revival of 'jungle raj' anarchy from past regimes. The alliances' rhetoric underscores Bihar's polarized landscape, where development promises clash with accusations of systemic failures. Prashant Kishor's JSP, positioning itself as an alternative force, could fragment votes, intensifying the bipolar fray and testing traditional strongholds.
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Notable participants include Tejashwi's brother Tej Pratap Yadav from Mahua, JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha, Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav on RJD's Chhapra ticket, and folk singer Maithili Thakur for BJP in Alinagar. These diverse profiles blend political legacies with cultural icons, drawing crowds and spotlighting Bihar's evolving voter appeal beyond dynasties and policy alone.
Top figures fueled the frenzy with rallies statewide: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath for NDA; Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for INDIA. Their interventions highlighted the phase's significance as a bellwether for Bihar's future trajectory and national alliances ahead of results.
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