Voting for the third and final phase has started on November 7 in Bihar. Today polling is held in 78 seats in 16 districts, mainly in the areas of Seemanchal and Mithilanchal. About half of the Muslims of Bihar live in this third phase of assembly constituencies.
But this phase is also special because in many of the seats here, the competition is not between the two main parties or triangular but multicolored.
In the third phase, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party of Upendra Kushwaha, AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi, BSP of Mayawati and Jan Adhikar Party of former MP Pappu Yadav are also in the competition.
In the year 2015, out of these 78 seats, 54 seats were won by Janata Dal United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress alliance. At the same time, BJP, LJP, RLSP and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Party were part of the NDA which won 24 seats. But in this, BJP got the maximum 19 seats
This time there is no JDU in the grand alliance and LJP is not fighting with NDA.
For the third phase, BJP has fielded 35 candidates and JDU has 37 candidates. Along with this, five candidates of Mukesh Sahni’s Developing Insan Party are trying their luck.
At the same time, RJD has fielded 46 seats and Congress 25 seats.
12 ministers of Nitish government’s cabinet have been nominated as candidates for the third phase. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary Sarairanjan, Assembly speaker, Bijendra Prasad Yadav from Supaul, Pramod Kumar is fighting Motihari.
At the same time, Subhashini Yadav, daughter of former Union Minister Sharad Yadav is fighting on Congress ticket from Bihariganj.
In the third phase, the Seemanchal area will be in the center where the traditional RJD voters are in large numbers ie Yadavs and Muslims. But this time, the alliance of Kushwaha, Owaisi and Pappu Yadav has made it difficult for the RJD in this area.
In the 2010 assembly elections, JDU and BJP together won 206 out of 243 seats but could not make it to Kishanganj in Seemanchal. Then the RJD and Congress got four seats from Kishanganj.
AIMIM got its first victory in Bihar in the by-election held in Kishanganj last year.
There will be elections in 34 seats of Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul and Sitamarhi districts of Mithilachal. Voting will also be held in six seats of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali. At the same time, votes will be cast on November 7 on 12 seats in East and West Champaran.
Last time, BJP was able to win only six seats from Mithilachal. Therefore the competition here is tough for BJP as well.
Prior to this phase, BJP used its star campaigners to the fullest, with Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda and Yogi Adityanath also coming to campaign.
JDU has fired 33 leaders before the third phase due to anti-party activities. At the same time, Nitish Kumar also announced from a rally that this is his last election.
You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp, and mail us at GReport2018@gmail.com to send us your suggestions and writeups
