In Bihar polls, 'vote for Nitish means a vote for RJD' says LJP's Paswan; Tejashwi appeals

As the first phase of Bihar elections began on Wednesday, LJP chief Chirag Paswan and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav have appealed to voters to vote for change in the state. Taking to Twitter, both the leaders said that Bihari voters must vote for a new wave of development. While Chirag Paswan attacked Nitish Kumar and claimed that a vote for JDU will mean a vote for RJD, Tejashwi Yadav appealed that Bihar should vote for a better future. 

Taking to Twitter, ahead of the first phase of Bihar assembly elections, LJP chief Chirag Paswan has appealed to voters to use their franchise and has added that democracy has to be strengthened for the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, in his tweet, he had put forth his Bihar-first-Bihari-first agenda and said that RJD will be strengthened if Nitish Kumar is voted for. He reiterated that BJP and LJP will form the government in Bihar. 

Tejashwi Yadav, CM candidate of the Mahagathbandhan, has appealed to the people of Bihar ahead of the first phase of Bihar elections 2020 to vote for a better future, for better health, education facilities and a new wave of development. 

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Polling in 71 seats is underway and the other two phases of the Bihar election are on November 3 and November 7, and the results will be announced on November 10. The Election Commission of India stated that 7 lakh hand sanitizers, 46 lakh masks, 6 lakh PPE kits, 6.7 lakh face shields and 23 lakh pairs of hand gloves have been arranged for the election. To observe the COVID-19 prevention norms, each polling booth will have less than 1000 voters. To decongest polling stations further, the voting time has been increased by one hour. Thus, people will be able to cast their votes from 7 am to 6 pm barring for the areas affected by Left-wing extremism. 

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The Bihar Assembly has a strength of 243 members out of which 38 seats are reserved for SC and two for ST. In the 2015 state polls, the Mahagatbandhan comprising RJD, JD(U) and Congress won a whopping majority with 178 seats under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. On the other hand, the BJP-led alliance won from only 58 constituencies. On July 26, 2017, Nitish Kumar stepped down as the CM citing irreconcilable differences with RJD over corruption allegations against Tejashwi Yadav and joined hands with its former ally BJP.

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Key alliances in the fray

The Tejashwi Yadav-led Mahagatbandhan comprising RJD, Congress, CPI(M-L), CPI, and CPM is perceived as the principal challenger to the ruling NDA alliance consisting of BJP, JD(U), VIP, and HAM(S) under the leadership of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Some of the other alliances in the fray include the 'Progressive Democratic Alliance' who has projected Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav as the CM face and the 'United Democratic Secular Alliance' with former Upendra Kushwaha as the CM candidate. On the other hand, Chirag Paswan-led LJP is contesting the polls separately. Paswan's repeated attacks on Nitish Kumar and his open display of admiration for PM Modi has given rise to speculation of a tacit understanding between BJP and LJP. 

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