The nomination process for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections concluded on Friday. While the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is campaigning with full confidence, the opposition “Bharat” alliance seems to be in a state of confusion. According to the Election Commission, more than 1,250 candidates have so far filed nominations for 121 assembly seats in the first phase. This number may increase further as data from many districts is still pending. In at least half a dozen seats, more than one candidate from the “Bharat” alliance has filed nominations, indicating that if none of these candidates withdraw their nominations by October 20, there is a possibility of a “friendly contest”. The situation is still unclear over the division of seats in the alliance comprising Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, three Left parties and former minister Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). There is also confusion about which party will contest elections on which seats. The Congress allowed RJD leader Rishi Mishra to contest on its symbol from the Jale seat, but in return, RJD showed no leniency over Lalganj seat, where mafia and political leader Munna Shukla’s daughter Shivani Shukla has filed nomination, while Congress candidate Aditya Kumar Raja is also in the fray. In Vaishali and Kahalgaon too, a direct contest between RJD and Congress seems to be brewing. Besides, the Congress may face CPI candidates on at least three seats: Bachhwada, Rajapakar and Roshada. Tejashwi Yadav is taking the election for the second time, BJP chief Mukesh Sahni himself is not contesting this election. His party won four seats in 2020. He told reporters, “I am not trying to go to the Rajya Sabha but want ‘Bharat’ to form a coalition government and become the deputy chief minister.” RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, touted as the chief ministerial candidate of ‘Bharat’ alliance, is contesting from Raghopur seat for the third consecutive time. Several prominent leaders are contesting in the first phase, including Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai). Ministers Mangal Pandey (BJP) and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (JDU) are also in the fray. Meanwhile, BJP started a vigorous campaign. Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally in Saran and later attended an “intellectual conference” in Patna. Don’t give Lalu Prasad a chance to make a comeback – Amit Shah Shah likened the RJD regime to “a well”, saying, “We have filled that well and will now build a strong building in the next five years.” Accusing the Congress-RJD alliance of favoring “criminals and foreign infiltrators”, he appealed to the public not to give “Lalu Prasad, who you drove out of power in 2005, a chance to make a comeback.” Shah, considered the chief strategist of the BJP, also paid a “courtesy visit” to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence, putting to rest rumors of the JDU’s displeasure over seat sharing. A day earlier, he told a TV channel in an interview that “NDA is fighting the elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and it doesn’t matter if BJP wins more seats than JDU because BJP already has a large number of seats in the Assembly.” Bihar Chief Minister is also campaigning. JDU leaders welcomed Shah’s statement, while RJD and Congress leaders said that Shah had not clearly said that he would be reappointed as chief minister if Nitish Kumar returned to power. Meanwhile, the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Odisha – Devendra Fadnavis, Mohan Yadav, Pramod Sawant, Pushkar Singh Dhami and Mohan Manjhi – also visited various districts of Bihar, took part in filing nominations with NDA and attended candidates. public meetings. Consensus reached in NDA: BJP and JD(U) agreed to contest elections on 101-101 seats in the 243-member assembly. The remaining seats were given to smaller allies – Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
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