Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Nitish Kumar, 69, faces multiple rivals in the Bihar elections. (Proceedings)
New Delhi:
The three-phase election in Bihar that would decide whether Nitish Kumar wins a fourth term as Chief Minister begins today with the vote of 71 of the state’s 243 seats. His rival is RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, whose promise of 10 lakh jobs has turned out to be a huge draw in the context of the lockdown and widespread unemployment. The third factor in this election is Chirag Paswan, son of the late Lok Janashakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan, whose rebellion against Nitish Kumar’s leadership is suspected of being backed by the BJP. The party, a longtime JD (U) ally, is seen to be distancing itself from Nitish Kumar after ground-level feedback that he is no longer a political asset. The election is taking place in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and the Electoral Commission has drawn up elaborate security protocols.
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The Elections Commission has issued detailed guidelines including lowering the voter limit for a polling place from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering voting hours and voting-by-mail facilities for those over 80 or infected. Electronic voting machines will be sanitized. Thermal scanners, hand sanitizer, soap and water will be made available to voters. Voting begins at 7 am.
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The week-long campaign has been a clear indication of the growing distance between the ruling allies – the BJP and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United. There has been little overlap and, except for Senior Deputy Minister Sushil Modi and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, no other BJP leader campaigned for the JDU. Posters and billboards on neither side mentioned the other.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his three rallies in the state thus far, only superficially mentioned Nitish Kumar, whom he and Amit Shah had accepted as the face of the NDA in Bihar. He had sought votes only for the NDA and made cursory references to Nitish Kumar towards the end of his speech, which had surprised.
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The campaign also saw Tejashwi Yadav, the political heir to Lalu Yadav and the main ministerial candidate of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and left-wing parties, come of age in terms of mass appeal. His rallies have been packed and his party said the promise to provide 10 lakhs of jobs at his first cabinet meeting has generated a lot of enthusiasm among the people.
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The pressure on the ruling allies has been visible. While the Chief Minister, known for his calm appearance, has lost his temper on several occasions, the BJP, after repeatedly taunting the 31-year-old former Chief Vice Minister for his job promise, included a 19 lakh promise of jobs in his choice. manifest.
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Midway through the campaign, Chirag Paswan, who has been criticizing Kumar, initially for his alleged lack of initiative to bring migrants home and then for a number of issues, rebelled against Nitish Kumar’s leadership and stated that his match will compete alone. . He has also declared loyalty to the BJP and said he wants a BJP candidate for the top job. While the BJP made strong comments, stating that Nitish Kumar will remain its top ministerial candidate and that anyone who does not accept his leadership will not be part of the NDA in the state, it has not taken any action against him.
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Chirag Paswan, who joined politics after his film career plunged, has also emerged as a right-wing leader in the state, far from his father’s secular credentials. With support for Triple Talaq, the removal of Article 370, and the promise of a temple for Goddess Sita at Sitamarhi, it is seen as proving its value to the BJP and could play the role of a political disruptor in the state that has hitherto headed by secular leaders.
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Kumar, who split from the NDA after Narendra Modi was named a prime ministerial candidate, won the 2015 elections as part of the Grand Alliance with Congress and Lalu Yadav. But mid-term, he ended the alliance over corruption allegations against Tejashwi Yadav and joined the BJP to form a new government.
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Imamganj’s seat in Gaya is expected to witness a high-stakes battle, with former HAM (S) President Jitan Ram Manjhi taking over from former Assembly Speaker and RJD candidate Uday Narayan Choudhary. In Jamui, the daughter of former Union Minister Digvijay Singh and BJP candidate Shreyasi, who won shooting gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, will face RJD Acting Legislator Vijay Prakash.
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The second and third phase of the elections in the state will be held on November 3 and 7. The vote counting will take place on November 10.
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