As the first phase of voting for the Bihar Assembly elections is underway, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday expressed confidence in the NDA's victory, asserting that the alliance will form the government with a full majority.
Speaking to reporters, CM Gupta added, "The people of Bihar know their interests. Over the last 15–20 years, they have witnessed the state's development. They understand that under the leadership of the NDA and Nitish Kumar, progress in Bihar is possible. I have full faith that the NDA will form the government with a full majority. We will secure more seats and votes than before."
Attacking the Opposition, she said, "To those living under misconceptions, I want to remind them -- this is Bihar. Whoever considers themselves a hero should remember that only those who rule the hearts of the people, the true 'Jannayak', will rule Bihar. Those involved in corruption, who looted public money, the 'Khalnayak', will end up in jail. And those who misled the people, the 'Nalayak', will flee abroad to enjoy vacations."
Meanwhile, the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began with over 3.75 crore voters deciding the fate of candidates in 121 constituencies out of the total 243 seats. This initial phase is significant, especially for the Opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), which had won 63 of these seats in the 2020 polls. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) -- comprising the BJP and the Janata Dal(United) -- had secured 55 seats in the same constituencies.
This round of polling is also important for smaller parties allied with both major coalitions. The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) or CPI(ML), which had one of the highest strike rates in 2020, will have 10 of its 20 contesting seats going to polls in this phase. Of these, the party currently holds six seats. Retaining these constituencies is vital for the CPI(ML) if it wishes to sustain its previous electoral performance.
Within the NDA, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) or LJP(RV), led by Chirag Paswan, is contesting 29 seats across Bihar, 10 of which fall in this first phase. Interestingly, the NDA currently holds only one of these ten seats.
The Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP), now a part of the Mahagathbandhan, will also face a test of its electoral strength. Of the 15 seats it is contesting, six will go to the polls in this first phase. The alliance has projected VIP chief Mukesh Sahani as its Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate, raising the stakes for his party's performance.
Several prominent leaders are in the fray in this phase. Tejashwi Yadav, the Opposition's chief ministerial face and RJD leader, will contest alongside more than a dozen ministers from the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. Among them are Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
This phase also features several celebrities and public figures, adding glamour to the political fight. Young folk singer Maithili Thakur is contesting on a BJP ticket from Aliganj, while Bhojpuri cinema star Khesari Lal Yadav represents the RJD in Chhapra. Another Bhojpuri actor, Ritesh Pandey, is contesting from Kargahar as a candidate of the Jan Suraaj Party led by political strategist Prashant Kishor.
(With inputs from IANS)
