Patna: With the clock ticking down on campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, political activity has reached fever pitch on Tuesday as leaders from across the spectrum scramble to make their final appeal to voters.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to address four public meetings across the state, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold two rallies to rally support for the Grand Alliance. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav will also crisscross key constituencies, each seeking to sway undecided voters before the 48-hour campaign silence kicks in.
Adding glamour to the political fervour, Bhojpuri film stars including Akshara Singh, Pakhi Hegde, Astha Singh, and Arvind Akela Kallu have joined the trail, campaigning for candidates across party lines in what has become a familiar blend of politics and celebrity appeal in Bihar’s elections.
A total of 1,314 candidates are contesting in this phase — 1,192 men and 122 women — for 121 Assembly seats, including 19 reserved for Scheduled Castes.
The Election Commission has announced that 37.5 million voters will exercise their franchise across 45,341 polling stations, with 8,608 booths in urban areas and 36,733 in rural regions. Extensive security and logistical arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and fair polling process.
As campaign songs fade and convoys slow, Bihar stands poised for its first big electoral test — one that could redefine political equations ahead of November 14, when the results will tell whose message truly resonated with the people.
