 "NDA rests hopes on poor")
Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers quickly finished breakfast at a roadside restaurant in Simrahi bazar in Supaul district, as they wanted to reach out to villagers with a new message from the party leadership. "There is nothing you can do to the MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination. We are, therefore, going with a clear message to target extremely backward classes (EBC) with a promise that a member of EBC will be made the chief minister if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gets majority in the state," the BJP worker, who had come all the way from Patna to campaign in the Kosi region, told this reporter.
He was carrying a Rashtriya Atipicharavarg Mahasabha (National EBC Mahasabha) visiting card that had the picture of, among others, BJP leader Prem Kumar. Kumar, a six-time MLA from Gaya, is one of the prominent EBC leaders of the saffron party in the state. And by projecting him as the chief ministerial candidate through whisper campaign, the BJP hopes to corner a sizeable chunk of crucial EBC votes.
Read more from our special coverage on "BIHAR ELECTIONS"
The last-minute shift, not officially announced though, to target EBC voters is one of the ways in which the BJP wants to make inroads in this Mahagathbandhan stronghold that is going to polls today. The two regions - Mithilanchal and Seemanchal - with 57 Assembly seats on offer have been traditional bastions of socialist outfits because of relatively higher concentration of Muslims and Yadavs. (POLL WATCH)
The Seemanchal region, consisting of districts like Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Kishanganj, has a high concentration of Muslims. Kishanganj is one of the few Muslim majority districts in the country and the other three districts have minority population in excess of 35 per cent.
In an otherwise straight contest between the Mahagathbandhan (consisting of the RJD, JD(U) and the Congress) and the NDA in the most of 57 seats here, Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party are seen as unknown elements making their electoral debut in the state. Voters, however, aren't in any mood to discuss other fronts. "This is essentially a contest between Nitish Kumar and Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). Owaisi should not have entered the fray this time. The occasion is big and there is no scope for any spoiler now," a 70-year Muslim tea seller in Purnea district's Baisi town told this reporter. Four other Muslims sitting nearby refused to reveal their names but said that "the entire Muslim community is behind Nitish Kumar this time".
In Pappu Yadav's home town of Purnea, his party workers are seen campaigning very aggressively. But people do not seem to be very impressed. "If we have to vote against the Mahagathbandhan, why waste our votes on others. We will vote for the NDA," said a trader in Purnea. He did not wish to be named.
Other than the entry of two new players, both the alliances will be wary of candidates who switched sides ahead of elections. Misrilal Yadav, a trusted Lalu Prasad lieutenant till recently, switched side two months ago and is now contesting as a BJP candidate from Alinagar against Lalu's trusted confidante Abdul Bari Sidiqqui. Niraj Kumar Singh, two-time JD(U) MLA, is contesting as BJP candidate this time from Chatapur.
Amla Devi won the Triveniganj seat as JD(U) candidate in 2010. But she is contesting as Jan Adhikar Party candidate this time. And from Thakurganj, Naushad Alam is contesting as JD(U) candidate against LJP nominee Gopal Kumar Agrawal. Both of them switched parties ahead of elections.
In 2010, the BJP had bagged 23 out of the 57 seats in the Seemanchal and Mithilanchal regions. The JD(U), then an ally of the BJP, had bagged 20 seats. The RJD had to be satisfied with mere eight seats. The Congress had won three seats in the region.
The BJP has put up candidates in as many 38 seats, while LJP nominees are contesting in 11. The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party has put up candidates in five constituencies and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha is contesting three seats.
From Mahagathbandhan, JD(U) candidates are trying their luck in 25 seats this time, RJD in 20 and Congress 12. Realising the importance of the final phase of elections, the PM held rallies in Purnea, Katihar, Darbhanga and Madhepura. Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad too held at least one rally each in most of the constituencies. And Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi too held three rallies on Monday.
Nearly 15 million voters are set to decide the fate of 827 candidates in the last phase of polling. There are 58 women candidates in the fray.
Prominent among those whose fate will be decided in the last phase of elections include Bijendra Prasad Yadav of JD(U), Abdul Bari Siddiqui of RJD and Lalu Prasad's close confidante Bhola Yadav.
