Bihar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the schedule for the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections on Monday. The poll body has convened a press conference at 4 p.m. to make the official declaration.
The term of the 243-member Bihar Assembly ends on November 22, necessitating elections before that date. Political parties across the state have urged the ECI to hold the polls soon after the Chhath festival, which concludes in late October. Parties believe this timing would ensure higher voter turnout, as a significant number of migrant workers return home during the festive period.
The previous assembly elections in 2020 were conducted in three phases amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the upcoming elections, the BJP’s election committee convened in Patna for the second consecutive day on Sunday to finalize its strategy for the high-stakes contest. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who serves as the party’s in-charge for Bihar, and attended by Union Minister C.R. Paatil, co-in-charge for the polls, along with BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde.
On Saturday, State BJP President Dilip Jaiswal told reporters that the committee had reviewed 60 of its sitting constituencies in the 243-seat assembly. In the 2020 elections, the BJP had contested 110 seats and secured 75 victories. The party’s tally has since increased due to defections from rival parties and successes in bypolls.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, contesting under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United), also includes Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha led by Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha.
However, political circles are abuzz with reports of unease within the NDA. According to PTI, Upendra Kushwaha is reportedly displeased with the BJP’s move to re-induct Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Pawan Singh, who had played a key role in Kushwaha’s defeat in the Karakat Lok Sabha constituency after contesting as an Independent.
Although Kushwaha was subsequently accommodated by the BJP with a Rajya Sabha seat, sources suggest he remains dissatisfied over being overlooked for a ministerial berth in the current Narendra Modi cabinet, despite having served in the first Modi government.
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