Bihar Assembly Elections 2024: A Political Tug-of-War Amidst New Alliances

The Election Commission announced the Bihar Assembly elections schedule on Monday, outlining that the 243 Assembly seats will be contested in two phases: November 6 and November 11. Vote counting is slated for November 14, bringing the political spotlight back to one of India's key states.

In the 2015 Bihar elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) secured 80 seats with an 18.8% vote share. Its ally, Congress, captured 27 seats garnering 6.8% of the votes. The Janata Dal (United), affiliated then with the Mahagathbandhan coalition, claimed 71 seats at 17.3%. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 53 seats with a significant 25% vote share.

Nitish Kumar's political journey has been marked by high-profile alliances and separations. After initially partnering with RJD and Congress, Kumar joined forces with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2017, and Sushil Kumar Modi became Deputy CM. The 2020 elections saw Kumar's JD(U)-BJP alliance winning a majority. However, by August 2022, Kumar shifted alliances, breaking with the BJP and aligning with the Mahagathbandhan again. In January 2024, ahead of parliamentary polls, Kumar reverted to the NDA, which now includes Chirag Paswan's LJP, Jitin Manjhi's HAM, and Upendra Khushwaha's RLSP.

The NDA's campaign leans on PM Narendra Modi's appeal and policies like the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, providing financial aid to women, and youth-focused projects worth Rs 62,000 crore. Conversely, the INDIA bloc, led by Tejashwi Yadav, centers its drive on accusations of electoral manipulation by the BJP, the promise of revised reservation quotas from a conducted caste survey, and tackling unemployment.

The electoral landscape in Bihar is further shaped by the newly updated final electoral roll, documenting 7.42 crore electors after extensive revisions. Significant changes in voter registration have been noted in key districts, including Patna and Madhubani, as the state's political factions brace for a compelling election battle.

(With inputs from agencies.)