Bihar’s assembly elections, the first to go to the polls after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, will be held in three phases. The first phase of the elections will be held on October 28, the second phase on November 3, and the third on November 7. The results of the 243-seat assembly will be announced on November 10, nearly three weeks before the assembly’s deadline expires on November 29. Here are the six key faces of this choice.
Narendra modi
He is the Prime Minister, but his influence on the Bihar elections will be profound, even more so because the state does not have a leader who matches Nitish Kumar’s image despite a strong organizational footprint. His effusive praise for Nitish Kumar in Bihar before the polls shows the importance he places on state elections. The BJP has already said that the elections will be under the leadership of the prime minister, although the leadership of the state will be under Nitish Kumar. As the first election amid the Covid-19 pandemic and post-Ram Temple and Article 370, it will also be a test for him in a state where his party suffered a setback at the peak of its popularity in 2015.
Nitish kumar
He will seek his seventh term as Prime Minister of Bihar since 2005 and is the man in the spotlight. Although his party has never been able to get the numbers necessary to form a government on its own in the state, it has remained an indisputable leader that tips the balance in favor of the alliance it chooses. That the BJP was content to be a second fiddle to JD-U in Bihar despite ruling the heart of Hindi speaks volumes for its ability and acceptability. He relies on his ‘good governance’, development initiatives and women’s empowerment plan to help him hand over the state to the alliance.
SEE ALSO | EC Announces Voting Dates in Bihar: 3 Phase Voting; result on november 10
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav
Stepping out of the shadow of a mass leader like Lalu Prasad is not easy for any son. Tejashwi also faces the same even as he tries to give his party a makeover to eclipse the past image of RJD’s 15-year reign. Facing a seasoned politician like Nitish Kumar is a challenge for him. With age by his side, he is trying to forge his own space and identity. Taking advantage of his main vote bank of Muslim and Yadav, he is working hard to mobilize the youth and other sections. But it has to prove its acceptability beyond RJD in an age of coalition politics.
Chirag Paswan
He is young, ambitious and eager. Chirag Paswan is the chairman of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, launched in 2000, but has assiduously attempted a generational change. He appointed his cousin, Prince Raj, a first-time deputy from Samastipur, head of the Bihar party. Despite being in the NDA, Jamui’s two-time MP has not hesitated to attack Nitish Kumar and praise Narendra Modi for amply showing that he knows how to balance things out. The 2020 Bihar assembly elections will be the first since Ram Vilas Paswan handed over the witness to him last year and his actions will be under surveillance.
Sushil Kumar Modi
The deputy CM in Bihar along the NDA rule since 2005 in Bihar, is seen as the bridge between the BJP and the JD-U due to its close ties with Nitish Kumar. He is the face of the BJP in the state, although the party has seen more than half a dozen state presidents during the period. That speaks of his stature within the party. Known for his strong duties and easy access, he is the strategist that BJP trusts.
Asaduddin Owaisi
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi has not been a big player in Bihar politics, but his growing ambition may create obstacles for the opposition. In Bihar, there are more than 80 seats in which minorities are a major influencing factor. play Minority votes can be decisive in the Seemanchal region, which has 30 seats in the assembly. For the first time, it won a bypoll seat in 2019. Although AIMIM was unable to open its account in the 2015 elections, this time it plans to contest the largest number of seats in Bihar.
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