Stakes are high for estranged allies BJP and JD(U) in the fourth phase of Bihar Assembly polls which will be held on Sunday for 55 seats across seven districts. Together as NDA partners, the two had swept the region in the 2010 Assembly elections winning 50 of the total seats.
But now, pitched on opposite sides in the fierce high-voltage electoral battle, the performance of the erstwhile partners will be crucial for the fate of their respective camps, the NDA and the Grand Alliance.
In the last Assembly polls, the BJP had won 26 out of 55 seats spread across seven districts of Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Gopalganj and Siwan. For its part, the JD(U) emerged victorious in 24. The RJD, which is now with the JD(U), had won two seats while Independents had bagged three seats.
As the Modi wave in the 2014 lok Sabha polls had seen the NDA outshine its rivals in 53 of the 55 Assembly segments, the
BJP is yet again banking big time on the charisma of its top leader to ensure the voters continued their allegiance to the party.
The BJP has the advantage of contesting more number of seats this time around. It has fielded candidates on 42 seats. Its ally lJP is contesting 5 seats while and Hindustan Awam Morcha and Rashtriya lok Samata Party (RlSP) 4 seats each.
For the JD (U) though, the number of seats has reduced as the bigger chunk has gone to its ally the RJD. In the region considered a saffron stronghold, the RJD is contesting 26 seats while the JD(U) 21 and the Congress 8 seats. But Nitish Kumar’s party and the Grand Alliance is pinning its hopes on the fact that the coming together of JD(U) and lalu Prasad’s RJD will not allow a split in their voter base unlike during the lok Sabha elections last year.
In the three phases held so far for 131 seats, both the sides have made assertions of having established a decisive lead and exuded confidence of assuming power post-November 8, the day of counting.
The completion of the fourth phase - during which the level of discourse even got personal - will see the process being over in 186 seats. The last phase of polling is scheduled on November 5 for the remaining 57 seats.
A total of 1,46,93,294 voters will be able to cast vote on 14,139 polling stations on Sunday to elect from the 776 candidates in the fray including 57 women contestants.
On the basis of assessment of security situation, polling will be held from 7 am to 5 pm in 43 constituencies, while it will be shortened by one hour in 8 seats and voting would end at 3 pm in four seats, Additional Chief Electoral Officer R lakshamanan said.
In all, 1163 companies (each comprising 100 personnel) of Central Paramilitary Force and State police have been deployed. There are 3,043 polling stations in lWE (left-Wing Extremist)-affected areas even as 38 motor boats will be pressed into services for riverine patrolling.