NDA confident as 3rd phase ends

Congress and LJP fall behind as Bihar votes get polarised.

BJP President LK Advani was calm and confident as he told reporters in Patna today, "The jungle raj in Bihar is nearing its end as the NDA will get a clear majority. These are the last days of the RJD's rule by proxy and the Congress, the principal backer of the jungle raj, is in a terrible mess because of the sin (of propping up the RJD regime) committed by it."

This confidence was in direct contrast to Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Araria telling a crowd in impassioned tones that mistakes had been committed in Bihar, but this time, the central government would monitor the government in Bihar closely.

As the country's two topmost leaders fought for the minds and hearts of the people of Bihar, it was clear that both the Congress and the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) were going to be the two biggest losers in this election.

Businessmen, lawyers, teachers""all are united in the view that this election is more polarised""between the JD(U)-led NDA and the RJD-led alliance""than any previous one. In such a scenario, the junior-partner parties, the Congress and the LJP, are likely to lose out the most.

The Congress is, in a sense, identified with the imposition of President's Rule. Bihar Governor Buta Singh, who began his tenure with so much promise, could have won the state back for the Congress.

A businessman recalled the first meeting industrialists of Patna had with the governor. "We got an appointment instantly. The governor told us, 'How can you people work here'."

But after a few weeks, the governor's promises appeared to be "a cruel joke". "Transfers and postings were up for sale. When we tried to meet the governor to invite him for a function, his staff told us that an appointment would cost Rs 5,000. What can we expect from the Congress after all this?" the industrialist said.

Ramvilas Paswan, who swore by the governor and his abilities, is seen as the one responsible for the central rule. "People will vote to ensure a popular government is formed and the one to be punished most severely will be Paswan," said a kirana shop owner.

Paswan's 12 per cent vote share is likely to go either to the RJD-led alliance or the NDA. The question that remains is who will gain more.

Also critical is the 22 per cent votes netted by Independents. There are Independents this time, too, and even a 1 per cent swing can send either the NDA or the RJD coasting to victory.