Bihar Assembly Elections: First Phase Campaign Concludes Ahead of Voting
Campaign Wraps Up for Bihar's First Phase Elections
The campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections came to a halt on Tuesday at 5 PM. Voting is scheduled for November 6 across 121 assembly seats in 18 districts. With the end of the campaign, major alliances are gearing up for a competitive electoral battle. These seats fall under six of the state's nine administrative divisions. In the previous elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 60 seats, while the Grand Alliance won 61, indicating a tight contest ahead. For the NDA, gaining an advantage in this phase poses a significant challenge, while the Grand Alliance aims to maintain or improve upon its past performance.
Voting Schedule and Preparations
The second phase of the assembly elections is set for November 11, with vote counting taking place on November 14. The Election Commission has completed all necessary preparations to ensure peaceful and fair voting. Observers have been instructed to create a festive atmosphere at polling stations to encourage high voter turnout. The Commission has introduced several technological innovations, including complete webcasting at booths, new voter information slips, and voting reporting via the EVM Net app. For the first phase, 121 general, 18 police, and 33 expenditure observers have been appointed, with special monitoring arrangements in rural areas.
Voter Statistics and Constituency Details
According to the Election Commission, voting will occur in districts including Madhubani, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, and Buxar. The voting time has been reduced by one hour at six assembly seats, with polling scheduled from 7 AM to 5 PM at 2,135 polling stations. Notable constituencies include Simri Bakhtiyarpur with 410 booths and Mahishi with 361 booths. The decision to adjust polling hours was based on the sensitivity of these areas and local administrative recommendations.
Voter Demographics and Key Candidates
A total of 37,513,302 voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the first phase, comprising 19,835,325 men, 17,677,219 women, and 758 third-gender voters. There will be 45,341 booths, including 45,324 main booths and 17 auxiliary booths. Several prominent candidates will be contesting in this phase, including Tejashwi Yadav from the Grand Alliance, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, and Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav. The Alinagar seat is particularly noteworthy, where the BJP has nominated singer Maithili Thakur, who will face off against RJD's Vinod Mishra.
Ministerial Candidates and Party Alliances
The fate of 16 ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government will also be decided in this phase, including 11 from the BJP and 5 from JD(U). Key candidates from the BJP include Health Minister Mangal Pandey and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. JD(U) ministers contesting include Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Rural Development Minister Shrawan Kumar. In terms of party representation, the NDA has 57 candidates from JD(U), 48 from BJP, 13 from LJP, and 2 from RLJP, while the Grand Alliance features 71 from RJD, 24 from Congress, and 14 from left parties. Additionally, the Vikasheel Insaan Party and CPI are contesting six seats each, while the CPI(M) is fielding candidates in three constituencies.