Nomination for Bihar Assembly elections is over. With the completion of the nomination process on 121 seats of the first phase, the political picture has become clear to a great extent. A total of 1314 candidates are now left in the fray for 121 seats in the first phase, among whom there will be an electoral contest.
Voting will be held on 121 seats in 18 districts of Bihar on 6 November, while voting on 122 seats in the second phase will be held on 11 November. The nomination process for the first phase ran from October 10 to October 17. During this period, 1,690 candidates had filed nominations on 121 seats in the first phase.
Nominations of 315 candidates filed for the first phase were found invalid, due to which their nominations were rejected. Apart from this, 61 candidates withdrew their names. In this way, 1314 candidates are left for 121 seats and their fate will be decided on 6 November.
Where and how many candidates in the first phase
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In the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections, maximum number of candidates are in the fray for Muzaffarpur and Kudhni seats. 20-20 candidates are trying their luck on these two seats. At the same time, the least number of candidates are on three seats in the first phase. Five candidates each are in the fray for Bhore, Alauli and Parbatta seats.
A total of 149 candidates are in the fray for 14 seats in Patna. 9 candidates withdrew their nomination papers. Maximum 14 candidates are contesting in Paliganj assembly of Patna district. Talking about Bhagalpur district, 102 candidates filed nominations for 7 assembly seats. A total of 21 candidates filed their nomination in Nathnagar Assembly.
What is at stake in the first phase?
The first phase of Bihar assembly elections will decide who will be crowned with power. The credibility of both NDA and Grand Alliance is at stake. If we look at the results of the last elections held on 121 assembly seats in this first phase, there was a close contest between the Grand Alliance and the NDA. The Grand Alliance had won 61 seats, while the NDA had won 59 seats. LJP had contested the elections alone and got only one seat. Thus, even though the competition may have been equal in 2020, this time the scene has changed.
Among the 121 seats on which elections are being held in the first phase, RJD had won the maximum number of seats followed by BJP. RJD had hoisted the flag of victory on 42 seats, while BJP had won 32 seats. JDU had won 23 MLAs and Congress had 8 MLAs. Apart from this, 7 MLAs of ML, four of VIP, two each of CPI and CPM had won. Apart from this, LJP had won one seat.
Who is contesting on how many seats in the first phase?
Most of the 121 seats in the first phase are at stake for RJD and JDU. On behalf of the Grand Alliance, RJD is contesting on 71 seats, while on behalf of NDA, JDU has fielded candidates on 75 seats in the first phase.
After JDU in NDA, BJP is contesting on 48 seats, while Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) has fielded candidates on 14 seats. Upendra Kushwaha’s party RLM has two candidates in the fray and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) is also contesting on one seat.
At the same time, RJD is contesting the maximum number of seats in the Grand Alliance, but after that Congress has fielded its candidates on 25 seats. Apart from this, CPI (ML) is contesting on 14 seats, VIP and CPI are contesting on six seats each, while CPM has fielded its candidates on three seats and IP Gupta’s Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) has fielded its candidates on two seats.
Mutual fight in grand alliance on 6 seats
127 candidates of the Grand Alliance are contesting on 121 seats in the first phase. In this way, the grand alliance is competing not only with the NDA but also among itself on half a dozen assembly seats. In the first phase, it is RJD vs Congress on Vaishali and Lalganj seats, RJD vs VIP on Tarapur seat. Apart from this, candidates of Congress and CPI are face to face on the seats of Rajapakar, Rosra and Biharsharif.
JDU vs RJD fight in first phase
Out of the 121 seats where voting is to be held in the first phase, there is a direct fight between RJD and JDU on three dozen seats, while there is a contest between RJD and BJP on 23 seats. In the first phase, there is a direct fight between Congress and BJP on only 13 seats, while on a dozen seats it is Congress versus JDU.
At the same time, Chirag Paswan’s party LJP (R) has to compete directly with RJD on 11 seats, but due to the cancellation of nomination of LJP (R) candidate Seema Singh from Marhaura seat, the contest is now left on ten seats. CPI-ML is fighting with JDU on seven seats in the first phase, while it will fight with BJP on five seats.
Mukesh Sahni’s party VIP will contest against BJP candidates on four seats and JDU candidates on two seats. Both the candidates of Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM are contesting against the RJD candidate.
Big face test including Tejashwi-Samrat-Vijay
In the first phase of Bihar assembly elections, the big faces of both Grand Alliance and NDA are going to face the litmus test. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is leading the Grand Alliance, has elections in the first phase from Raghopur seat, due to which his litmus test will be held on 6th November.
Both the Deputy CMs of NDA are to be examined in the first phase. BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary is contesting from Tarapur seat while Vijay Kumar Sinha is trying his luck from Lakhisarai seat, for which elections are to be held in the first phase.
The first phase will decide the fate of JDU state president Umesh Kushwaha along with ministers Mangal Pandey, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Nitin Naveen, Shravan Kumar, Jivesh Mishra, Sanjay Saraogi, Ratnesh Sada.
The first phase will also decide the political future of Bhojpuri film superstar Khesari Lal Yadav, who is contesting from Chapra, and folk singer Maithili Thakur, who is contesting from Alinagar seat. Apart from this, there is election in the first phase on Raghunathpur seat of Shahabuddin’s son Osama.
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