Bihar polls phase 2: 3.7 cr voters to decide electoral fate of 1,302 candidates in 122 seats
Patna (PTI): Electoral fortunes of 1,302 candidates, including over half a dozen ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, will be sealed on Tuesday with 3.70 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise across 122 assembly segments in the second and final phase of the high-stakes Bihar polls.
For the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, the final round of polling is being seen as a crucial test to retain the support of various groups with complex caste and community dynamics.
The districts going to polls on November 11 include West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj, and all these share borders with Nepal.
Most of these districts fall in the Seemanchal region, which has a high concentration of Muslim population, making it a high-stakes battle for both the INDIA bloc, which banks on the support of the minority community, as well as the ruling NDA, which alleges that the opposition is “protecting infiltrators”.
Security has been beefed up across Bihar for the second phase of the assembly polls with over 4 lakh personnel engaged in election duties, officials said.
Prominent candidates include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, a veteran JD(U) leader and the most senior member of the state cabinet, who seeks to retain his Supaul seat for a record eighth term.
Similar is the case of his cabinet colleague Prem Kumar, who belongs to the BJP and is trying his luck from Gaya Town, which he has won seven times, on the trot, since 1990.
Other ministers whose electoral fates are on stake include BJP’s Renu Devi (Bettiah) and Neeraj Kumar Singh “Bablu” (Chhatapur), and JD(U)’s Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Sheela Mandal (Phulparas) and Zama Khan (Chainpur).
Another prominent BJP leader who is in the fray is former deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad, who seeks to retain the Katihar seat for a fifth consecutive term.
Katihar district is also home to Balrampur and Kadwa assembly seats, where a hat-trick is being aimed at by Mehboob Alam and Shakeel Ahmed Khan, respectively, the legislative party leaders of CPI(ML) Liberation and the Congress.
The second and final phase is also being seen as a veritable test of strength for minor NDA partners Hindustani Awam Morcha, headed by Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, both of which have got six seats each.
All six seats contested by HAM are going to the polls in the second phase. Four of these, Imamganj, Barachatti, Tikari and Sikandra, are currently held by the party, and the sitting MLAs have been given the chance to try their luck again.
Notably, Manjhi held the Imamganj seat till he got elected to the Lok Sabha from Gaya last year, and it was retained, in the ensuing by-poll, by his daughter-in-law Dipa. Barachatti is held by Dipa’s mother Jyoti Devi.
Candidates of the RLM, which was floated barely a couple of years ago and has no representation in the state legislature, include Kushwaha’s wife Snehlata and his most trusted aide Madhaw Anand, who are making their debut from Sasaram and Madhubani, respectively.
Four of the six candidates fielded by the party are going to the polls in the second phase.
Another important candidate in the fray is state Congress president Rajesh Kumar, who hopes to retain the reserved seat of Kutumba for a second consecutive term.
Votes will be cast at 45,399 polling stations, of which 40,073 fall in rural areas.
A number of turncoats are also in the fray. These include Mohania MLA Sangita Kumari, who won the seat as an RJD candidate in 2020 but is now contesting on a BJP ticket, and Vibha Devi, the MLA from Nawada, who recently quit the opposition and joined the JD(U).
Similar is the case of Murari Gautam, who was a minister from the Congress quota in the 'Mahagathbandhan' government, crossed over to the NDA when Nitish Kumar realigned with the BJP last year.
He is now in the fray from his sitting seat of Chenari on the ticket of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan.
Another keenly watched candidate will be Chanakya Prakash Ranjan, whose father is a former state minister and second term JD(U) MP from Banka, who raised many eyebrows by joining the RJD ahead of the assembly polls.
He is contesting the Belhar seat on the opposition party’s symbol.
Voting, in the second phase, will take place across 45,399 polling stations, of which 40.073 fall in rural areas. More than half of the electorate (2.28 crore) is aged between 30 and 60 years. Only 7.69 lakh are in the 18-19 years age group.
The total number of women voters in the 122 constituencies is 1.75 crore.
The Hisua seat in Nawada district has the largest electorate (3.67 lakh), while Lauria, Chanpatia, Raxaul, Triveniganj, Sugauli and Banmakhi have the most number of candidates (22 each).
Bihar recorded the "highest ever" voter turnout of over 65 per cent in the polling across 121 constituencies in the first phase of the assembly elections.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said he will ask for time from Delhi police to appear before them next week, to provide required information as part of the probe into the National Herald case.
He said he will seek time after the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature ends on December 19. He will also ask the Delhi police to provide him the FIR copy.
Shivakumar, who is in the national capital, had earlier said that he will appear before the Delhi police on Monday. But, he postponed the plan in order to rush back to Karnataka to participate in the last rites of veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, scheduled later in the day in Davangere.
"I had to go (to appear before the Delhi police), but I have to go back urgently. I'm asking them for time, stating that I will come next week," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session."
The Delhi Police had issued a notice to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case.
The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is "supposed to be having vital information" pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice dated November 29, the EOW had asked Shivakumar to appear before it or provide the requested information by December 19 latest.
Investigators have sought details about his personal background, his association with the Congress party, and a complete break up of funds allegedly transferred by him or associated entities to Young Indian.
To a question on meeting AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, amid the ongoing power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister post, Shivakumar said when he comes to Delhi, he usually meets every one.
"Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) or Venugopal, I will meet everyone. During lunch yesterday I met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I have met everyone. What's wrong?" he asked.
Shivakumar was in Delhi to take part in Congress' "Vote Chori" rally on Sunday, and had also participated in the lunch organised by the party for its leaders.
Responding to a question, whether any meeting is planned with leaders today, the Deputy CM said, he and Kharge will be travelling together to Karnataka, to pay last respects to Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.
Asked if he will seek time for a separate meeting with Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the next visit to Delhi, Sivakumar said, "such things will be there between us in the party.... you don't worry."
