Bihar polls: Cracks in alliances as Nitish Kumar seeks fourth term

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Oct. 25 (EMN): All eyes are on Bihar as around 7.29 crore people will elect 243 legislators to the state legislative assembly in three phases between October 28 and November 7, amid Covid-19 pandemic which has disrupted the normal life of the people.

A total of 71 seats will go to polls in the first phase on October 28, while voting for 94 assembly constituencies will take place in the second phase on November 3 and the remaining 78 seats on November 7 in the final phase. The counting of votes and results will be declared on November 10.

Battle of alliances

In the last Bihar assembly election held in 2015, the Mahagathbandhan consisting of JD (U), RJD and Congress won 178 seats and formed the government with Nitish Kumar as the chief minister. But the JD (U) left the alliance two years later and claimed the government with the NDA.

Bihar assembly election 2020 will see more alliances taking on each other in the upcoming election. The major alliances are National Democratic Alliance, which include JD (U), BJP, Vikassheel Insaan Party and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha; and Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) comprising Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, CPI-ML, CPI and CPI (M).

Other alliances in the fray are Grand Democratic Secular Front, Progressive Democratic Front, and United Democratic Alliance.

Interesting facts in phase 1

A total of 1066 candidates are in fray for 71 seats in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections 2020.

Criminal background

According to information provided by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) based on self-sworn affidavits of 1064 candidates contesting in the first phase, 328 (31%) of them have declared criminal cases against themselves. The number of candidates with serious criminal cases is 244 (23%), it informed.

Among the major political parties, 30 (73%) out of 41 candidates analysed from RJD has criminal cases, while it is 21 (72%) out of 29 candidates from BJP; 24 (59%) out of 41 candidates from LJP; 12 (57%) out of 21 candidates from INC; 15 (43%) out of 35 candidates from JD (U); and eight (31%) out of 26 candidates from BSP.

It went on to inform that 22 (54%) out of 41 candidates from RJD have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits; 20 (49%) out of 41 candidates from LJP; 13 (45%) out of 29 candidates from BJP; nine (43%) out of 21 candidates from INC; 10 (29%) out of 35 candidates from JD (U); and five (19%) out of 26 candidates from BSP.

The self-declared affidavits also revealed that 29 candidates have cases related to crime against women, out of which three are related to rape; 21 candidates have cases related to murder; and 62 have cases related to attempt to murder.

Financial background

Out of the 1064 candidates contesting in phase-1, 375 (35%) are crorepatis and average assets is INR 1.99 crore.

Among the major political parties, 39 (95%) out of 41 candidates from RJD are crorepatis; 31 (89%) out of 35 candidates from JD (U); 24 (83%) out of 29 candidates from BJP; 30 (73%) out of 41 candidates from LJP; 14 (67%) out of 21 candidates from INC; and 12 (46%) out of 26 candidates from BSP.

Interestingly, 453 (43%) candidates have declared liabilities in their affidavits.

Educational background

Out of the candidates analysed, “455 (43%) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th standard while 522 (49%) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above”. The affidavits also revealed that 74 candidates are literate, five are illiterate and seven are diploma holders, while one didn’t declare his education details.

Other details

Only 114 (11%) female candidates are contesting in phase-I out of more than 1000 in the fray.

A total of 403 (38%) candidates are aged between 25-40 years, while 548 (52%) of them are aged between 41-60 years, and 112 (11%) between 61-80 years, and one candidate has declared his age 82 years.