Photo/Agencies
NEW DELHI: NDA is banking on its reinforced alliance and the appeal of its welfare measures in regions going to polls in Bihar on Thursday to turn the tide in its favour in areas where the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) had edged past it in the last assembly election.In 2020, RJD-led opposition had won 61 of the 121 seats that go to polls in the first phase, against NDA’s 59, performing strongly in Shahabad region and key districts such as Patna, Bhojpur, Saran and Siwan.Back then, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha, who headed RLSP, had fought separately, helping MGB gain ground in several constituencies, including Begusarai and Buxar. With both Paswan and Kushwaha back in NDA, alliance netas now believe their social coalition has been significantly strengthened. They are also counting on the impact of the govt’s welfare initiatives – notably the Rs 10,000 cash transfer to over 1.3 crore women – to sway the voters.In 50 seats across Patna, Bhojpur, Buxar, Saran, Siwan and Begusarai, MGB had bagged 35 in 2020. CPI-ML Liberation, with its strong base among the poor across caste lines, had played a crucial role in MGB’s success.A BJP neta said the alliance expects a major recovery in these districts as well as in Magadh and Shahabad regions, where polling is scheduled in the second phase on Nov 11. Home minister Amit Shah’s claim that NDA’s tally will rise from 125 seats in 2020 to over 160 stems from confidence of improving its performance in regions that favoured MGB earlier, he added.In 2020, Paswan had walked out of NDA and had dented the alliance’s vote base, particularly in seats contested byJDU, while Kushwaha’s support was tepid. The return of both netas and the rise of deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary within BJP have boosted the morale of the Kushwaha community, the second-largest OBC bloc after Yadavs, comprising about 4.2% of Bihar’s population.In the first phase, JDU is contesting 57 seats, BJ and other allies six, while RJD is fighting more than 70, Congress 24 and CPI-ML 14, with VIP, CPI and CPM also in fray.
