Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, Prashant Kishor
PATNA: Ministers, movie and music stars, and a murder accused. The stage is set, the battle lines drawn. Bihar’s political elite – CM hopeful Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, two deputy CMs, and 13 cabinet ministers – brace for a verdict from 3.75 crore voters in the first phase of assembly elections in 121 constituencies on Thursday.A total of 1,314 candidates are in the fray, their fate to be sealed in 45,341 polling stations across 18 districts.Nitish Kumar-led NDA has much at stake: of its 15 ministers in fray, 10 belong to BJP, including deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai), and five are from JD(U), including Vijay Kr Choudhary (Sarairanjan) and education minister Sunil Kumar (Bhore).For INDIA bloc’s CM face Tejashwi, the contest in Raghopur, his family’s stronghold, is a test of dominance. Seeking a hat-trick, he faces Satish Kumar of BJP, who once humbled RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad’s wife and former CM Rabri Devi in 2010 as a JD(U) nominee. Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor, who had vowed to challenge him, later stepped back.
Tej, Anant Singh and Maithili to face battle for ballots today
Tejashwi’s elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting from Mahua in Vaishali district under his new Janshakti Janata Dal banner. Tej Pratap was expelled from RJD earlier this year after controversies over his personal life. In Tarapur, BJP’s Samrat Choudhary — contesting a direct election after nearly a decade — seeks to prove his mettle against RJD’s Arun Kumar Sah, who narrowly lost the last bypolls. In Lakhisarai, deputy CM Vijay Sinha eyes a fourth straight term against Congress’s Amresh Kumar and Jan Suraaj’s Suraj Kumar.The drama peaks in Mokama, where JDU strongman Anant Singh faces RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of don-turned-politician Surajbhan Singh. Both hail from the same Bhumihar community — a duel as personal as it is political.Former MLA Anant Singh was arrested on Nov 1 for the killing of strongman-politician and Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav, days after a clash between rival convoys in Mokama. Singh was released from Beur jail on Aug 6 and returned to the same prison following his arrest.The first phase also brings glamour to the fray with folk singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar, BJP), Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav (Chhapra, RJD) and singer Ritesh Pandey (Kargahar, Jan Suraaj) adding a showbiz sparkle to the ballot.According to EC data, Digha in Patna has the largest electorate at 4.5 lakh, while Barbigha in Sheikhpura has the smallest with 2.3 lakh voters. Kurhani and Muzaffarpur top the list with 20 candidates each, while Bhore, Alauli, and Parbatta see just five contenders.State’s chief electoral officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said Wednesday all necessary preparations have been made for fair elections, while EVMs and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) were distributed among the polling parties despatched to the booths.Among the 3.7 crore voters in this round, 10.7 lakh are new entrants, including 7.3 lakh in the 18–19 age group — young voices that could tip the scales in what promises to be a gripping first act of Bihar’s political showdown. Go to Source
