In the third phase of the state assembly polls in Bihar, 78 of the 243 seats would be contested today. Valmiki Nagar Parliamentary seat, where a by-election has been necessitated by the death of sitting JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahato would also undergo polls. The first phase of the Bihar state polls, when a turnout of 55.68 percent was recorded, was conducted on 28 October, whereas, in the second phase, which saw polling on 94 seats, the voter turnout was around 55.70 percent.

About 2.34 crore voters will be deciding the fate of 1,204 candidates, including 110 women, in the third and final phase of the Bihar Assembly election. Of the total 78 seats, 12 are reserved under the SC category, whereas one is reserved under the ST category.

Polling timing

State Chief electoral officer HR Srinivasa said that polling will be from 7 am to 6 pm. It will conclude early at 4 pm in four Naxal-affected constituencies of Valmiki Nagar, Ramnagar, Simri Bakhtiarpur and Mahishi. Out of 33,782 polling stations, 4,999 are considered vulnerable.

Political parties in the third phase

The final phase of polling will cover 78 constituencies spread across 19 north Bihar districts. In the last election, the grand alliance, which then also included the JD(U), had won 54 of the 78 seats from this region. The JD(U), which is now part of the NDA had bagged 24 seats, whereas the RJD had won 20 seats and the Congress had ten seats. The BJP, which is the main constituent of the NDA, along with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awaam Morcha (HAM), had won 19 seats.

But in this election, JD(U) is out of Mahagathbandhan and is contesting the election with the NDA. The LJP under Chirag Paswan has gone solo, whereas, former NDA-member RLSP has formed Grand Democratic Secular Front, a six-party alliance which includes Mayawati’s BSP, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suhaldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, Samajik Janata Dal (democratic), and Jantantrik Party (Socialist). Meanwhile, the NDA now includes Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party.

As for the Grand Alliance, the Congress and RJD have joined hands with the Left Parties in the state. The final phase, therefore, is likely to be a real test for the ruling alliance of the NDA, the Grand Alliance as well as the six-party Grand Democratic Secular Front.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s rallies continued to be in the news for unpleasant happenings. At an election rally in Madhubani, stones and onions were hurled towards the dais, evoking an angry retort from the incumbent CM-“phenko, aur phenko” (carry on with your mischief). RJD chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav continued with his campaign, drawing enthusiastic crowds at his rallies.

Poll pundits opined that after gaining momentum in the first phase, the RJD-led Grand Alliance has lost some steam in the subsequent ones. The BJP roped in many of its heavyweights for the Assembly election campaign. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, party president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who repeatedly flew down to the state urging voters to support the NDA.

People also attended, in heavy numbers, rallies and roadshows of LJP president Chirag Paswan who has continuously criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The final phase covers the Seemanchal area of the state, densely populated, and having a heavy concentration of Muslims. Many of the 78 seats undergoing polls on Saturday fall in the Kosi-Seemanchal region where the contest between NDA and Grand Alliance will be held under the shadow of the Owaisi influence given the fact that the AIMIM has fielded candidates in many of the Muslim-dominated seats here and the Hyderabad MP also carried out a hectic campaign. The Kosi-Seemanchal region also happens to be the main area of influence for former MP Pappu Yadav, whose Jan Adhikar Party is determined to make its presence felt.

Key candidates and seats

In this final phase of the Bihar election, there are over 1,200 candidates in the fray, including 110 women candidates. Prominent candidates include Vijay Kumar Chaudhary of JD(U), Speaker of the outgoing assembly, famed for his ability to win over hostile opponents with a disarming smile, who seeks to do a hat-trick in Sarairanjan.

JD(U) ministers in the fray are Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul), Narendra Narayan Yadav (Alamnagar), Maheshwar Hazari (Kalyanpur), Ramesh Rishideo (Singheshwar), Khurshid alias Firoz Ahmed (Sikta), Lakshmeshwar Roy (Laukaha), Bima Bharti (Rupauli) and Madan Sahni (Bahadurpur). Four ministers are in the fray from the BJP-Pramod Kumar (Motihari), Suresh Sharma (Muzaffarpur), Binod NarayanJha (Benipatti) and Krishnakumar Rishi (Banmankhi).

Another keenly watched candidate is Subhashini Yadav from Bihariganj whose father is the veteran socialist leader and former Union minister Sharad Yadav.

Sharad Yadav had been the JD(U)s national president for a long time and had served as the national convenor of the NDA until Nitish Kumar, the party’s de facto leader, chose to snap ties with the BJP in 2013. He was stripped of the post a few years later when Kumar became the party president as well and revolted when the latter did a volte-face and returned to the NDA. Subhashini is contesting on a Congress ticket.

In the Valmiki Nagar Parliamentary seat, the JD(U) has fielded former MP Baidyanath Mahato’s son Sunil Kumar. He is facing the primary challenge from Congress candidate Pravesh Kumar Mishra, a journalist-turned-politician.

Security arrangements

GOI has directed the deployment of about 30,000 Central security force personnel for the conduct of the three-phase assembly polls in Bihar Eighty companies, as per an official order reviewed by PTI, will be drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRFP) followed by 70 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), 55 from the Border Security Force (BSF), 50 from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 30 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force (ITBP) and 15 from the RPF. A single company of these forces has an operational strength of about 100 personnel. MHA in an order, has said that the CRPF will be the nodal agency for the deployment of these central forces in the state and that it will coordinate with the state agencies for moving these contingents in Bihar.

(Source: Firstpost.com)