Patna: The Election Commission announced the schedule for the highly anticipated Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Sunday. The elections are set to be conducted in seven phases, with polling commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.
The electoral process in Bihar will span all seven phases. In the initial phase on April 19, polling will be conducted in Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, and Jamui constituencies. The subsequent phases will witness polling in various regions, culminating in the final phase on June 1, covering constituencies including Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, and Arrah.
The distribution of seats across the phases varies, with the sixth and seventh phases accommodating voting for eight seats each, while the second, third, fourth, and fifth phases feature polling for five seats each. The first phase will witness voting on at least four seats.
Furthermore, a crucial by-election is slated for the Agiaon assembly seat of Bhojpur, scheduled to be held during the seventh phase. This vacancy arose following the conviction of Male MLA Manoj Manzil in a murder case.
Over the past 15 years, Bihar has witnessed a significant surge in voter numbers, from approximately 5.45 crore in 2009 to an estimated 7.64 crore in 2024. This reflects an increase of about 2.2 crore voters over the past decade and a half. Compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the voter count has risen by approximately 52 lakh, while compared to the 2014 elections, it has surged by about 1.26 crore.
With the Election Commission’s announcement, the political battleground in Bihar has been set for the 2024 elections. The state braces for another showdown between the two grand alliances – the ruling NDA, which has secured consecutive victories in recent elections, and the Grand Alliance, which has faced successive setbacks in past contests.
Notably, the NDA has maintained a strong presence in Bihar, even securing victories during the tenure of the Manmohan Singh government in 2009. The shifting political landscape has seen the recent departure of Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha from the Grand Alliance to join the NDA, diminishing the alliance to only three left parties, alongside Congress and RJD.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who had joined hands with the RJD in 2022, ended the alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “Beech mein do baar idhar udhar zaroor ho gaye the. Lekin ab kabhi nahi. Phir wahin rahenge, ab idhar udhar nahi honge (Twice I moved out, but now I am here forever. I will not go anywhere),” he had recently said.
