NEW DELHI: The fourth-largest assembly in India - Bihar will vote in the first phase of elections on Thursday, covering 121 of the 243 constituencies. The high-stakes contest features familiar heavyweights - Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial faceTejashwi Yadav, NDA’s second-in-command Samrat Choudhary, and Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, now estranged from the family and party and contesting under his new political banner.
After weeks of fiery rallies and personal attacks, the campaign officially drew to a close on Tuesday evening, wrapping up an intense round of accusations and counter-accusations that saw many things from religious symbolism to family feuds weaponised for political mileage.While the main contest remains between the ruling NDA and the Mahagathbandhan (INDIA bloc), a third force, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has added spice to the narrative. Kishor's campaign targeted both the alliances, accusing them of decades of misrule. The heated exchanges during the campaign, which saw leaders invoking Chhath Puja, Mata Sita, and Lord Rama, drew sharp reactions from rival camps.The electioneering gathered pace soon after the October 6 poll announcement and reached its crescendo after the Diwali and Chhath festivities.Leading the NDA'ss charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fronted a high-voltage campaign, addressing eight rallies, including two on the final day, besides a roadshow in Patna and virtual interactions with booth-level workers and women supporters.Earlier, at Samastipur, he paid homage to Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur, invoking the socialist icon’s legacy as both he and CM Nitish Kumar vied to claim his ideological inheritance.The Prime Minister accused the RJD-Congress combine of"protecting infiltrators" and warned against a "return of jungle raj."He also mocked the Congress for agreeing to name Tejashwi Yadav as CM candidate "only when the RJD put a katta (country-made gun) on its head."Tejashwi hit back sharply, calling the Prime Minister’s language"unbecoming of his office" and urging voters to focus on jobs and governance rather than rhetoric.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively with seven rallies, three on the final day. He accused Modi of"drama during Chhath," saying the PM "backtracked from taking a dip in the Yamuna after discovering that a puddle with clean water had been created for him."The prime minister, in turn, taunted Rahul for being"fond of foreign trips but never finding time to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya," adding that his remarks amounted to an "insult to Chhathi Maiya."For the first time, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also entered the Bihar fray, holding three rallies and a roadshow, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge focused on consolidating the INDIA bloc’s base.
Nitish's marathon campaign and BJP's star power
Despite health speculation, CM Nitish Kumar embarked on an energetic state-wide campaign. His recent absence from PM Modi's rallies, however, sparked talk of strains within the NDA.Opposition leaders claimed the BJP was preparing to"sideline Nitish" after the elections - a charge the party dismissed.The BJP deployed its full firepower -- Amit Shah held over 20 rallies, joined by Rajnath Singh, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, and Anurag Thakur. Regional chiefs like Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Mohan Yadav added muscle to the campaign.The campaign saw a flashpoint in Mokama, where gangster-turned-politician Dular Chand Yadav, aligned with Jan Suraaj, was killed in a clash with supporters of JD(U)’s Anant Singh. Singh was subsequently arrested and remanded to 14-day judicial custody.The killing raised fears of renewed gang violence. The incident also embarrassed the ruling alliance, especially after JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh"Lalan" was booked for allegedly telling voters to ensure opponents "stay indoors on polling day."
Voting for the remaining 122 constituencies will take place on November 11, with results to be declared on November 14.
