New Delhi: As caste politics is at its peak in Bihar assembly polls and parties have chalked out their strategies to divide votes of different castes, about 17 per cent vote share of minorities is all set to play a decisive role in at least 60 assembly seats in Bihar assembly poll, which will go for the polls from October 28.
The three-phase election will conclude on November 7 and results would be declared on November 10.
The vote share of the minority community is second highest in the state after about 26 vote share of extreme backward class (EBC).
As per the voting pattern of the state, the EBC votes get divided among all the four major stakeholders such as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), while the minority community votes against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Notably, it was the reason that JD-U, a key ally of NDA, had not allowed the then Gujarat chief minister and BJP's star campaigner Narendra Modi to hold rallies in support of BJP candidates in 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
The assembly results of 2015 is the best example of the decisive role played by the Muslim voters as RJD, JD-U and Congress -- all the partners of Grand Alliance --- had benefited from the Muslim votes and Mahagathbandhan had won over 170 seats out of total 243 assembly seats. The BJP had won 55 seats.
As per the political experts, the ally partners of Grand Alliance may again get most of the vote share of Muslim voters due to JD(U) partnering with BJP. The NDA candidates may face a tough challenge in getting the share of Muslim votes on almost all the seats dominated by Muslim population.
There are about 50-60 assembly seats in Bihar where Muslim votes ranges from 20 per cent 70 per cent. The assembly seats of Kishanganj district, which has 78 per cent Muslim population, are Bahadurganj, Thakurganj, Kishanganj and Kochadhaman.
The Katihar district, that constitutes about 43 per cent Muslim population, has constituencies of Katihar, Kadwa, Balrampur, Pranpur, Manihari and Barari. Similarly, Purnia that has 37 per cent Muslims, has constituencies of Kasba, Banmankhi (SC), Rupauli, Dhamdaha and Purnia. Arari has about 41 Muslim population. As per the experts, the issues like Ram Mandir, citizenship and NRC may play a spoilsport for NDA as opposition parties would try to make these controversial issues their poll planks.