Bihar: Campaign ends for frist phase polls for 121 seats; 1,314 candidates in fray

The first phase of polls would decide the fate of several prominent candidates including Mahagathbandhan’s CM face Tejashwi Yadav, two deputy CMs Samrat Chowdhary and Vijay Sinha

PATNA: The campaigning for the first phase of Bihar assembly elections for 121 seats in the 243-member House ended on Tuesday evening.

Polling officers check documents at distribution centre before they leave for Bihar assembly election duty, in Patna, on Tuesday. (ANI)

The first phase polls are spread over 18 out of 38 districts and it will decide the fate of 1,314 candidates on November 6.

Star campaigners and senior leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Mahagathbandhan, and other parties in the fray made their last-ditch effort today to woo the voters.

The ruling NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) while the Opposition Mahagathbandhan includes the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), and Left parties CPI, CPI-ML, and CPI(M).

The first phase of polls would decide the fate of several prominent candidates including Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav, two deputy chief ministers Samrat Chowdhary and Vijay Sinha, ministers Nitin Rabin and Mangal Pandey, BJP’s cultural pick Maithili Thakur, former union minister Ram Kripal Yadav, to name a few.

The first phase would be an acid test for the JD (U) as the party is contesting 57 seats in the first phase of voting. Of these 57 seats, 23 are the seats where the JD (U) won in 2020. In addition to it, the party would be aiming to reclaim 29 seats, where it finished second in the 2020 elections.

With a focus on youth and women, the NDA manifesto, Sankalp Patra, has promised to provide one crore jobs in the next five years, which is aimed at checking migration, a major poll issue this election.

The Mahaghatbandhan or the INDIA bloc on the other hand promised to provide government jobs to one member of each family, review of liquor ban policy, ₹2,500 monthly allowance for women and 200 units of free power.

Addressing mediapersons in Patna on Tuesday, BJP election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan said that the NDA alliance has emerged as a symbol of trust among the people with its concrete achievements in development, good governance, and stability, and its resolve for a developed Bihar. “On the other hand, the direction and intentions of the Grand Alliance are unclear. The people of Bihar know well that those motivated by false promises and the misgovernance of the jungle raj can never do any good for Bihar,” he said.