Phase I campaigning ends, 121 seats vote tomorrow

The campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections in which polling will be held for 121 of the 243 seats located in 18 districts concluded on Tuesday evening. The polling is scheduled to take place on November 6.

Over 3.75 crore voters will decide the fate of over 1,300 candidates in a triangular contest between the NDA, the Mahagathbandhan and the newly formed Jan Suraaj — which is fighting to create a space for itself as a third alternative.

The polling will decide the fate of 16 ministers in the Nitish government, including Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, Health Minister Mangal Pandey and another Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha.

Among the other noted contestants are folk singer Maithili Thakur, world shooting star Shreyasi Singh and former Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav. In the opposition camp, voting will take place in the Assembly segments from where Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav are contesting.

In its campaign, the NDA has primarily focused on preventing the return of the “jungle raj of the Lalu-Rabri era”, fissures in the Mahagathbandhan, providing a major industrial thrust to the state and creating Jeevika Didis.

Rahul sparks row with Army remark

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi kicked up a controversy during his public meeting at Aurangabad when he said the Army was being controlled by 10 per cent of the population, while 90 per cent of Dalits, Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes and minorities did not have any representation in it.

PM Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with women BJP workers in the state on Tuesday. He said he had no doubt about the NDA’s victory and predicted a win in 225 of the 243 seats for the alliance. He asked the workers to make voting a mass movement in their respective polling booths.

On the final day of campaigning, a galaxy of BJP leaders descended on the state. UP CM Yogi Adityanath held a roadshow in Darbhanga. He also addressed four meetings in which he accused the RJD-Congress of shielding criminals and termed the Opposition anti-Hindu.

In Bettiah, West Champaran, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally, asking voters to pick NDA candidates. He accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of protecting infiltrators and said each infiltrator would be removed from the country.

CM Nitish Kumar addressed meetings at five places. In Supaul, he said he would provide solar panels to houses. He claimed that his government had worked for the all-round development of the state.

An FIR was registered against Union Minister Lalan Singh on Tuesday for making a controversial statement against opposition leaders during campaigning for arrested JD(U) candidate Anant Singh in Mokama.

The minister landed in a fresh controversy with the surfacing of a video in which he can be purportedly heard asking NDA supporters to intimidate the opponents on polling day.

During its campaign, the Mahagathbandhan has, among other things, promised to provide government jobs to all families in Bihar, abolish contractual jobs and convert these into government jobs and start the Mai Bahin Yojana under which Rs 2,500 will be provided to women in the state.

On Tuesday, Tejashwi held a hurriedly called press conference in which he said the Mahagathbandhan would give one-year stipend to all women in one go — ensuring Rs 30,000 to each women. He also promised free power to farmers.

Rahul Gandhi kicked up a controversy during his public meeting in Aurangabad. He said the Army was being controlled by 10 per cent of the population, while 90 per cent of Dalits, Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes and minorities did not have any representation in it.

He said similarly in 500 big companies in the private sector, these sections remained mostly unrepresented.

He said, “If there is no vote chori, there will be a Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar on November 14.”