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Patna, November 6 (IANS) As the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections is going on, Bihar Minister and JDU leader Ashok Choudhary, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary on Thursday expressed confidence in the victory of NDA, saying that a strong wind is blowing in favor of the alliance. He further said that, for the first time, people are rising above caste and creed and voting for development.
Speaking to IANS, Ashok Chaudhary said, “There is a clear wind in NDA’s favour. The people of Bihar are determined to prevent the return of ‘Jungle Raj’ in the state. The trend is positive, and the conscious voters of Bihar are supporting the politics of development. For the first time, people are voting beyond the boundaries of caste and religion.”
Shambhavi Chaudhary of LJP (RV) also reacted and said, “I have cast my vote and urge all residents of Bihar to exercise their right to vote in large numbers. Voting is both our greatest right and our constitutional duty. The decisions we take today will shape the future of our state and our nation.”
He further said that there has been a significant increase in participation of women voters, especially in rural areas.
“Women are coming to the polling booths in large numbers, which beautifully reflects the changing Bihar. There is full confidence that the NDA will return to power with an absolute majority,” he told IANS.
“This is the day to decide. I humbly urge everyone to go out and vote. It is secondary who you vote for, but it is important that you participate and ensure that the ideology you believe in wins,” she said.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer, in the 18 districts where voting is going on in the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections, an average of 27.65 percent voting was recorded till 11 am on Thursday.
The first phase of Bihar Assembly elections began with over 3.75 crore voters deciding the fate of candidates in 121 constituencies out of the total 243 seats. This initial phase is important, especially for the opposition Grand Alliance (Grand Alliance), which had won 63 of these seats in the 2020 elections. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – which includes the BJP and the Janata Dal (United) – had secured 55 seats in the same constituencies.
This round of voting is also important for the smaller parties included in both the major alliances. The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) or CPI (ML), which had the highest strike rate in 2020, will contest 10 of its 20 seats in this phase. Of these, the party currently has six seats. Retaining these constituencies is important for the CPI(ML) if it wants to maintain its past electoral performance.
Within the NDA, Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV) is contesting 29 seats across Bihar, 10 of which fall in this first phase. Interestingly, the NDA currently holds only one of these ten seats. LJP(RV)’s share in the seat distribution had earlier created tension among the alliance partners, especially the JD(U), which felt that the allocation was not in line with LJP(RV)’s current assembly strength.
Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), now part of the grand alliance, will also face a test of its electoral strength. Of the 15 seats it is contesting, six will go to polls in this first phase. The alliance has projected VIP chief Mukesh Sahni as its deputy chief ministerial candidate, increasing the risk of his party’s underperformance.
Many prominent leaders are in the fray in this phase. Opposition chief ministerial face and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will contest the elections along with over a dozen ministers of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government.
These also include Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. Notably, Chaudhary is contesting direct elections from Tarapur after almost 10 years, while former Bihar BJP president and current minister Mangal Pandey is contesting his first assembly election from Siwan.
This phase also involves many celebrities and public figures, adding glamor to the political fight. Young folk singer Maithili Thakur is contesting from Aliganj on a BJP ticket, while Bhojpuri cinema star Khesari Lal Yadav represents RJD in Chapra. Another Bhojpuri actor, Ritesh Pandey, is contesting from Karghar as a candidate of political strategist Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraj Party.
Another subplot in this episode involves Tejashwi Yadav’s elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, launching his own party, Janashakti Janata Dal. He is contesting from Mahua, the seat he had previously represented. The contest will indicate whether he will be able to carve out an independent political space or be dominated by his younger brother’s leadership within the RJD.
Some high-profile and sensitive constituencies are attracting special attention. In Mokama, JD(U)’s Anant Singh, who is currently under arrest in a murder case, faces RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of former MP Suraj Bhan, who also has multiple charges pending against him.
Another interesting contest is in Raghunathpur, where Osama Shahab, son of late gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, is contesting on RJD ticket.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), voting will take place at 45,341 polling stations, of which 36,733 are located in rural areas – highlighting the predominantly agricultural character of Bihar. Of the 3.75 crore registered voters, 10.72 lakh are first-time voters, while 7.38 lakh fall under the 18-19 age group.
As the first phase of Bihar elections gets underway, all eyes will be on whether the opposition will be able to retain its strongholds from 2020 or whether the ruling alliance will manage to regain lost ground. The results of this first phase are likely to set the tone for the remaining rounds of voting and could play a major role in shaping the political story of the state for the next five years.
–IANS
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