Patna, Oct 21 (IANS) Campaigning for the eight Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) seats ended at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, with polling scheduled for October 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Counting of votes will take place on October 27, and the entire election process is scheduled to conclude by October 31.
A total of 933 polling stations have been set up across the eight constituencies, where 5,32,847 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.
As many as 150 candidates are contesting the elections, including 90 for the four Graduate constituencies and 60 for the four Teachers’ constituencies.
The Graduate constituencies are Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Kosi, while the Teachers’ constituencies comprise Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Saran.
The elections have turned into a three-way contest among the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Opposition Mahagathbandhan and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which is seeking to challenge the traditional political players and alter their electoral calculations.
The Patna Graduate constituency has emerged as the most high-profile contest, with Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Neeraj Kumar seeking a fourth consecutive victory.
The JD-U has renominated the incumbent MLC, who is facing a challenge from Anuj Singh of the Jan Suraaj.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has fielded Dilip Kumar, while the Congress has nominated Asadullah Khan.
Anant Singh’s opposition to Neeraj Kumar has added to the JD-U’s challenges in the constituency and has openly supported the Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh.
Despite efforts by the JD-U leadership to address the grievances, the issue remained a talking point during the final phase of campaigning.
Neeraj Kumar’s recent illness and hospitalisation have added another dimension to the contest.
Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary visited the hospital to inquire about his health.
In the Darbhanga Graduate constituency, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded incumbent MLC Sarvesh Kumar, who won the seat as an Independent candidate in 2020. He is now contesting on a BJP ticket.
The RJD has nominated Anil Kumar Jha, the Congress has fielded Rajanikant Pathak, and Jan Suraaj has fielded Mohammad Imtiyaz Noorani.
The constituency has recorded the highest number of candidates, with 40 nominees in the fray.
In the Tirhut Graduate constituency, the JD-U has fielded Abhishek Jha on behalf of the NDA. Vimohan Kumar of the Jan Suraaj, Rashmi Vinayak Gautam of the RJD and Rajanikant Pathak of the Congress are also contesting.
The RJD is seeking to expand its support base among graduate voters.
In the Kosi Graduate constituency, the BJP has renominated incumbent MLC NK Yadav, who has won the seat in successive elections.
He faces Nitesh Kumar of the RJD, Manoj Kumar Jaiswal of the Congress and Rajnish Ranjan of the Jan Suraaj.
The BJP is seeking to retain its influence in the constituency, while opposition parties are attempting to make inroads.
In the Patna Teachers’ constituency, the BJP has renominated incumbent MLC Naval Kishore Yadav, who has represented the seat for a long time.
He is facing former RJD MLA Sanjeev Kumar Singh, Congress candidate Sanjay Yadav and Jan Suraaj nominee Divya Jyoti.
Issues concerning teachers’ salaries, service conditions, aided educational institutions and the broader education system are expected to influence voting.
Jan Suraaj is seeking to challenge established parties with its candidate, while the BJP is banking on its incumbent representative.
In the Darbhanga Teachers’ constituency, the Congress has fielded incumbent MLC Madan Mohan Jha, a former President of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee.
Jan Suraaj has nominated SP Rai. The lack of a uniform understanding between the RJD and Congress over candidates across all constituencies has made coordination within the Mahagathbandhan a key factor.
Jha is seeking to retain his traditional support base, while Jan Suraaj is attempting to attract voters dissatisfied with the existing political arrangements.
In the Tirhut Teachers’ constituency, the BJP has fielded Narendra Prasad Singh.
Jan Suraaj has replaced its earlier nominee Bhushan Jha with Shyam Nandan Yadav.
The Left parties are also a factor in the contest, with incumbent MLC Sanjay Kumar Singh affiliated with the Communist Party of India (CPI).
The eight-seat election is being closely watched as a test of the NDA’s ability to retain its existing positions, the Mahagathbandhan’s efforts to consolidate its support and Jan Suraaj’s capacity to establish itself in Bihar’s graduate and teacher electorates.
–IANS
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