Curtain falls on Bihar campaigning; final phase voting on Nov 11
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Patna: Campaigning concluded on Sunday evening for the second and final phase of Bihar’s high-stakes assembly elections, marking the end of nearly a month-long intense battle among parties vying for power in the state. The second phase of voting will be held on November 11, following the first phase on November 6, which recorded a record 65 per cent turnout, while counting is scheduled for November 14.
The second phase covers 122 assembly seats, including key constituencies such as Chakai (JD(U) minister Sumit Kumar Singh), Jamui (BJP MLA Shreyasi Singh), Dhamdaha (JD(U) minister Leshi Singh), and Chhatapur (BJP minister Neeraj Kumar Singh).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi were among the leaders who led the final-day blitzkrieg. Gandhi addressed 15 rallies across Seemanchal, a region with a significant Muslim population vital for the INDIA bloc. He also spearheaded a fortnight-long Voter Adhikar Yatra, though his allegations of ‘vote chori’ failed to gain significant traction.
Shah, campaigning intensively across Sasaram and Arwal, areas where the BJP faces relative weakness, was backed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other national leaders. BJP’s campaign also saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold 14 rallies and a roadshow, alongside party president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and regional leaders including Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Mohan Yadav. Actor-politicians Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari also joined the campaign, along with leaders from other states like Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh.
Away from the national spotlight, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar campaigned quietly but firmly, aiming for a fifth consecutive term, conducting rallies and impromptu roadshows despite health speculations and bad weather. His former deputy and present rival, Tejashwi Yadav, ran a spirited campaign as the INDIA bloc’s CM candidate.
The Jan Suraaj Party, considered the election’s ‘X factor,’ focused on a grassroots door-to-door campaign led by founder Prashant Kishor, who has previously managed high-profile campaigns nationally.
With campaigning now over, attention turns to voters for the crucial second phase, setting the stage for a closely watched battle for power in Bihar.
With PTI inputs