Campaigning ends for first phase of Bihar Assembly elections, polls to be held 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.
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.