Campaigning ends for second phase of polls amid high drama

The hustle and bustle of campaigning for the second phase of polls for 32 Assembly seats in Bihar ended on Wednesday evening with the sting video of a senior minister in the Nitish Kumar government providing the BJP-led NDA with fresh ammunition to attack the grand secular alliance on corruption.

The 32 seats are spread across six <g data-gr-id="43">naxal</g>-hit districts– Jehanabad, Arwal, Gaya, Rohtas, Kaimur and Aurangabad.

The Election Commission (EC) has cut short the time for voting by one to two hours in as many as 23 constituencies that would go to polls on October 16, depending upon its perception of the threat from outlawed <g data-gr-id="47">naxalite</g> groups. Only nine of 32 seats would see voting from 7 am to 5 pm. Twelve constituencies will witness voting till 4 <g data-gr-id="41">pm,</g> while 11 others will have <g data-gr-id="40">balloting</g> only till 3 pm, Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshamanan said.

The sting video of JD(U) minister Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha gave additional ammunition to the NDA for launching a spirited assault on the JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine during the electioneering for the second phase of the 5-phase polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue at his rallies at Jehanabad and <g data-gr-id="44">Bhubua</g> on October 12, a day after the video surfaced on the 113th birth anniversary of socialist icon Jayaprakash Narayan (well-known as JP). He attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad, products of JP’s ‘Total Revolution’ movement, for “insulting” their leader, who fought against corruption, on his birth anniversary.

BJP chief Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh extensively toured the constituencies. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram vilas Paswan, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) leader Upendra Kushwaha and Hindustani <g data-gr-id="49">Awam</g> Morcha’s (HAM) Jitan Ram Manjhi, other three allies of BJP, too held a number of election meetings.

The Grand Alliance's campaign was led by Nitish Kumar and Lalu. Neither Congress president Sonia Gandhi nor her deputy Rahul Gandhi made any appearance for this phase of <g data-gr-id="36">poll</g>.

On the last day of electioneering, Nitish and Lalu attacked Narendra Modi for his "delayed" reaction to the Dadri lynching incident. Modi, in an interview to Bengali daily Ananda Bazar Patrika, had termed as "unfortunate" the Dadri episode following rumours of beef consumption. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav toured some constituencies bordering UP and slammed Nitish Kumar in particular.

Their arch rival in UP politics and BSP chief Mayawati also canvassed support for her party's nominee in Sasaram bordering her state.

A battle royale is being witnessed for Imamganj seat where former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM is locked in a straight contest with the Speaker of the outgoing assembly Uday Narain Chaudhary of JD(U). Chaudhary is a five-term MLA from the seat. Manjhi is also trying his luck from Makhdumpur.