Campaigning ends for polls to 24 Legislative Council seats

Tejashwi PrasadYadav, who is also RJD’s heir apparent, has been engaged in an aggressive campaign, having held over 20 public rallies in different districts which he travelled by helicopter and by road.

Campaigning ended on Saturday for the high-stakes election to 24 local area seats of Bihar Legislative Council scheduled for April 4 in which the electorate consists of elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies falling into the respective constituencies.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav (HT)

From the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting 12 seats, chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) is in the fray in 11 seats while Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party led by union minister Pashupati Pasas has fielded its candidate in one seat.

The main opposition in the state, Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is contesting 23 seats and has allotted one seat to the CPI.

Congress, which had no seat sharing arrangement with its ally RJD, is contesting on 16 seats on its own.

Leader of opposition Tejashwi PrasadYadav, who is also RJD’s heir apparent, has been engaged in an aggressive campaign, having held over 20 public rallies in different districts which he travelled by helicopter and by road.

“RJD feels it has a chance to perform well in 2024 parliamentary polls and cannot get complacent midway. That is why Tejashwi himself is leading the campaign. MLAs and MLCs have been tasked to campaign intensively in their respective areas so that they could get a grip on panchayat representatives, who matter in influencing voters in assembly and Lok Sabha polls,” said a senior party leader.

In a bid to shed its image as a party dominated by Yadavs, RJD has fielded upper castes in 10 seats. Tejashwi was at pains to underline the message. “RJD is an A to Z party and we have to give representation to all sections. Should only Yadavs be given tickets?” he said recently at Bakhtiarpur.

“RJD lost the 2020 assembly polls by a whisker. But people continue to repose faith on Tejashwi, and he has been drawing huge crowds,” said RJD’s state spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan.

The ruling alliance has the challenge of retaining 19 out of the 24 seats up for grabs.

In 2015, BJP had won 11 seats and two other MLCs had joined the party later. JD(U) had won five seats and another MLC joined the party later.

BJP’s state spokesperson Ashok Kumar Sinha said, BJP has worked for the people and this will show in the results.”

JD(U) MLC and senior leader Neeraj Kumar too was confident of his party’s good show and cited CM Kumar’s work to empower panchayats and women by giving reservations and also strengthening the local self governance. “Tejashwi is a migrant politician. RJD has given tickets to many who are strong men. It is displaying muscle and money power,” the MLC said.

“This time, Council polls have gained a bigger dimension because of the rivalry between RJD and NDA getting intense in last two years,” said Rakesh Tiwary, a political analyst.

Votes will be counted on April 7.