Bihar election phase 1: 13.13% voting recorded till 9:00am
What's the story
The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began on Thursday, with a voter turnout of 13.13% till 9:00am. Polling is being held in 121 out of the state's 243 constituencies. The election is a battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan alliance, which includes Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress. CM Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) is part of the NDA.
Political landscape
Fate of ministers, RJD leaders to be decided
The first phase will decide the fate of several ministers, including Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and his estranged brother Tej Pratap are also contesting from Raghopur and Mahua, respectively. The Jan Suraaj Party, headed by Prashant Kishor, is also contesting in this phase. Also in the race is folk singer Maithili Thakur, who is contesting from Alinagar on a BJP ticket.
Election promises
Promises and controversies
The NDA has promised a cash transfer scheme of ₹10,000 while the opposition has promised ₹30,000 under 'Mai Bahin Maan Yojana.' The opposition's CM face, Tejashwi, has also pledged one government job for every home, totaling 1.3 crore jobs over five years. It challenges the NDA manifesto, which promises 1 crore government jobs and aims to generate 1 crore women lakhpatis. In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the NDA secured a narrow majority, winning 125 seats in the 243-member House.