Bihar Election 2020: Trends show smaller parties fail to make a mark

Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis–e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party were the only two smaller parties visible on the leader board, as per the Election Commission website

Voters in Bihar appear to have rejected the smaller parties, which were part of separate alliances in the assembly elections, as per early trends available on the Election Commission (EC) website.

Locals watch the election coverage on the counting day of Bihar assembly polls, in Patna on Tuesday. (PTI)

Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis–e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were the only two smaller parties visible on the leader board. They were ahead on three out of 243 seats, according to the website.

The two parties along with Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Janwadi Party Socialist (JPS) were part of the Grand Secular Democratic Front (GSDF).

BSP’s Ambika Singh was leading at Ramgarh in Kaimur district and Syed Ruknuddin Ahmad of AIMIM at Baisi and Akhtarul Iman at Amour, both in Purnia districts.

The BSP has so far managed to get 1.83% of the total votes polled. The AIMIM had a vote share of 0.71%.

The RLSP of former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha and JPS did not figure on the leader board.

The Progressive Democratic Alliance comprising the Jan Adhikar Party, Azad Samaj Party, Bahujan Mukti Party, and the Social Democratic Party of India were also not in the reckoning.

“This poll will decide whether new upcoming parties like AIMIM and JAP remain vote katwas (spoilers for bigger parties) or make a mark in Bihar politics,” said DM Diwakar, former director of the AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies and a political analyst.