Apparently last battle of 2 socialists icons Nitish & Lalu, high voter turnout also a caution for NDA in Bihar

New Delhi: With most of the exit polls showing NDA having clear edge over Mahagatbandhan in Bihar and counting of votrs to take place on Friday, this year assembly election marks the apparent last polls where two of the scoailists figures Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar, who came out from the JP movement have witnessed a major clash in the battle of survival of their parties as the voting percentage also saw a huge increase as compared to last Assembly polls. 

Two other socialist icons born during the JP Movement in Bihar — BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi and LJP’s Ramvilas Paswan — both passed away in last five years. 

Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav had in past clashed in several assembly elections in past three decades. However, given the health of both the leaders, many political leaders beleive that this is apparently the last time where these two icons came face to face with each other. 

Lalu, who is the supremo of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Nitish Kumar leading the Janata Dal-United had steered their parties out of troubled waters on number of occasions in last three decades. 

But, this assembly polls is also a battle of survival for both the parties.

Nitish Kumar-led JDU had managed to win 43 seats in 2020 assembly polls, their lowest tally in last three assembly polls. The reason for the poll debacle of JDU was attributed to Chirag Paswan’s rebellion following the split in his Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) after the death of his father Ramvilas Paswan. 

While the RJD, which was reduced to 22 seats in 2010 assembly polls had emerged as the single largest party in the state in 2020 will like to continue with its momentum despite Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav floating his own party after being expelled from the RJD.  

While another factor that is worth to watch in this assembly polls is the high voter turnout this year as Bigar had witnessed change in power thrice in the past whenever poll percentage saw a surge. 

According to the Election Commission, Bihar witnessed an overall voter turnout of 66.91 per cent, a record in its electoral history. 

The poll panel said that the voter turnout in the first phase was 65.08 per cent, which was a record in itself, while the second phase witnessed 68.76 per cent of voting. 

The overall turnout has increased by 9.62 per cent as compared to the 2020 Assembly elections, when vpter turnout was recorded 57.29 per cent. 

Bihar has witnessed change in power in the state thrice with the increase in the voting percentage. 

According to poll data, first change in power in Bihar was witnessed in 1967 where the polling percentage went up by five per cent. 

In 1967 elections, voter turnout was 51.5 per cent, an increase of seven per cent as compared to 44.5 per cent of polling in 1962. The result was the ouster of Congress government and formation of a coalition government in the state. 

Similarly, the history repeated in the 1980 elections. The voter turnout was in 1980 recorded was 57.3 per cent, an increase of over 6.8 per cent as 50.5 per cent polling was recorded in 1977. The Congress made a comeback to power after defeating the Janata Dal Secular led by Karpoori Thakur. 

However, the third election where the increase in voter percentage played a pivotal role in change of power was in 1990 when the voting increased to 62 per cent as compared to 56.3 per cent in 1985 that led to the ouster of Jagannath Mishra led Congress government and Janata Dal coming to power. This time the swing of vote was 5.7 per cent. 

However, Nitish Kumar who us banking on his pro-women schemes is looking confident of returning to power and Lalu’s younger son Tejashwi Yadav focus on youth with promise of government jobs has created a lot of buzz during polls. 

Congress sources indicated that since the announcement of Tejashwi Yadav as chief Ministerial candidate and Rs 30,000 yearly for women has also attracted the voters towards the Mahagatbandhan as compared to Rs 10,000 provided to women under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. 

The Congress and its alliance partners are hopeful of wresting the power from the NDA. 

Whereas the NDA-led by BJP and comprising JDU, LJP-RV, HAM-S and RLM are looking to retain the power in the closely contested battle where a high octane campaign was witnessed in the last one month. 

The polling for 243 member assembly took place in two phases — November 6 and 11.