Patna: The electoral fate of 1,302 candidates, including several ministers from the Nitish Kumar administration, will be determined on Tuesday as 3.70 crore voters prepare to cast their votes across 122 assembly segments in the second and final phase of the high-stakes Bihar elections. For both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, this final round of voting is perceived as a critical assessment of their ability to maintain the support of various groups with intricate caste and community dynamics. The districts participating in the elections on November 11 include West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj, all of which share borders with Nepal.
Most of these areas are located in the Seemanchal region, characterized by a significant Muslim population, making it a pivotal contest for both the INDIA bloc, which relies on the backing of the minority community, and the ruling NDA, which accuses the opposition of “protecting infiltrators.” Security measures have been intensified throughout Bihar for this second phase of assembly elections, with over 400,000 personnel assigned to election duties, according to officials. Key candidates include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, a veteran JD(U) leader and the longest-serving member of the state cabinet, who is vying to secure his Supaul seat for an unprecedented eighth term.
Similarly, his cabinet colleague Prem Kumar from the BJP is attempting to reclaim the Gaya Town seat, which he has won consecutively since 1990. Other ministers facing electoral challenges include BJP’s Renu Devi (Bettiah) and Neeraj Kumar Singh “Bablu” (Chhatapur), as well as JD(U)’s Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Sheela Mandal (Phulparas), and Zama Khan (Chainpur). Additionally, former deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad from the BJP aims to retain the Katihar seat for a fifth consecutive term. Katihar district is also home to Balrampur and Kadwa assembly seats, where Mehboob Alam and Shakeel Ahmed Khan, respectively, legislative party leaders of CPI(ML) Liberation and Congress, seek to achieve a third consecutive win.
This second and final phase is also regarded as a significant strength test for minor NDA allies Hindustani Awam Morcha, led by Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, both of which are contesting for six seats each.