New Delhi: Bihar prepares for a decisive verdict that can shape its political landscape. Counting of votes for all 243 Assembly constituencies begins at 8 am on Friday. Both National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) are bracing for a nail-biting finish.
The NDA, led by CM Nitish Kumar and backed by BJP and its allies hopes to retain power by banking on Nitish’s governance record and the popularity of PM Narendra Modi. NDA leaders have projected the alliance as a stable choice for Bihar. Nitish, who has switched alliances twice in the past, sought to present continuity as Bihar’s safest bet.
Tejashwi’s youth-pitch, PK’s third front stir
Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav and MGB’s chief ministerial face has waged his campaign on promises of sweeping change. He has pitched himself as the state’s youthful alternative, the 35-year-old RJD leader promised “one job per family” and targeted unemployment. He also rallied caste groups traditionally aligned with the Grand Alliance.
Alongside him, strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor attempted to chart a third part through Jan Suraaj. Most exit polls have, although, placed his party below five seats.
Security beefed amid counting
Security arrangements across the state are at their highest. The Election Commission has placed all EVMs and VVPATs under a double-lock system monitored by the state police and the paramilitary forces. Forty-six counting centres are placed under 24×7 CCTV surveillance. The EC has called for full transparency.
Most exit polls have broadly indicated an NDA victory. It has given the alliance between 121 and 209 seats. But the MGB has dismissed them outright. Tejashwi Yadav has claimed a “thumping majority” for the opposition.
CM preferences muddy the picture
He also said that the exit polls have misread Bihar’s complex electoral dynamics in both 2020 and 2015. Two major pollsters, however, have showed Tejashwi as the most preferred chief ministerial candidate despite projecting an NDA win.
To add it all, Bihar’s historic voter turnout of 67 per cent this time, adds to another layer of unpredictability.