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PTI
A bipolar contest between the ruling Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposing Mahagathbandhan has eclipsed prospects of the third hopeful — debutant Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Get together (JSP) — as Bihar prepares to vote within the first section of polling in 121 constituencies unfold throughout 18 districts on Thursday.
The destiny of Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha in addition to Mahagathbandhan chief and chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav will likely be sealed within the first section. Campaigning was marred by violence following the homicide of JSP supporter Dularchand Yadav in Mokama. Pressure prevails in Mokama, the place voting is scheduled on Thursday, after the arrest of Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Singh in reference to Dularchand Yadav’s homicide.
In Anant Singh’s stead, Union Minister and senior JD(U) chief Lallan Singh has been campaigning in Mokama. A consolidation of the Bhumihar votes is anticipated to favour his get together. An FIR was registered towards the Union Minister after he made a provocative enchantment to his supporters, asking them to “not enable some opposition leaders to step out of their properties on voting day”. The polarisation of dominant caste votes is anticipated to work within the ruling coalition’s favour on this seat.
Apart from the localised violence, one other important facet of the campaigning thus far has been the overwhelming participation of ladies in public rallies. Apart from caste — that continues to be the strongest determinant of electoral final result in Bihar — ladies have emerged as a separate help base. They largely help Chief Minister Nitish Kumar due to his constant women-centric insurance policies. These embrace the distribution of bicycles to school-going ladies, reservation of ladies in panchayats and native our bodies, ban on liquor, and the continuing disbursement of ₹10,000 beneath the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. businessline spoke to ladies throughout the caste spectrum and located that their help for Nitish Kumar is essentially intact.
“We really feel secure. We’re inspired to review and work. Who has completed a lot for us,” stated Anita Devi in Vaishali meeting constituency.
Regardless of his failing well being, Nitish Kumar has remained the spine of NDA’s marketing campaign. He has not addressed any press convention nor given any interview. He reads from a written textual content in public rallies versus his hitherto personalised, spontaneous interactions throughout elections. However that has not diminished his stature and enchantment among the many voters.
Whereas women-centric welfarism is aiding NDA’s marketing campaign, the 2 rival alliances are concurrently vying for the profitable social mixture. Inside the NDA, Nitish Kumar’s enchantment extends to extraordinarily backward courses (EBCs) whereas the BJP consolidates higher caste votes. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Get together (Ram Vilas) together with Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) deliver in numerous SC teams throughout the NDA fold. Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Get together provides extra EBC sub-groups to the alliance.
Within the Opposition camp, the primary constituent, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) comes with its basic Muslim-Yadav help. The CPI(ML)(Liberation)’s help base is essentially amongst Dalits and EBCs. Congress too is anticipated to consolidate the Dalits and Muslims within the alliance. The addition of Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Get together (VIP) is anticipated so as to add the important Mallah subgroup among the many EBCs to the coalition. One other addition to the opposition alliance is I. P. Gupta of the India Inclusive Get together (IIP) which instructions some help among the many Tanti-Paan subgroup among the many EBCs.
Revealed on November 5, 2025
