The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the dates for the high-stakes Bihar assembly election today.
A fierce three-way faceoff between NDA, the INDIA bloc and Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj party is anticipated.
The crucial state has seen electoral as well as alliance shifts over the years. Currently the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is in power with Janata Dal (United)’s Nitish Kumar as the chief minister with BJP's support.
The veteran chief minister has ruled the state various times over the years, forming the government in alliance with both Congress and the BJP.
He won the 2020 election with the NDA but In August 2022, he walked away from the BJP-led alliance, re-built ties with the RJD camp, and returned to the chair. However, in January 2024, he once again resigned and reformed the government with BJP support.
What is Bihar voting for?
The run-up to the election has been filled with drama. Central leaders and the Bihar administration rolled out several schemes this year, ranging from skill universities to multi-thousand-crore packages, termed as the solution for migration and unemployment.
Meanwhile, the opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav has made a strong case with yatras and protests and promises. He has focused on common man issues like jobs, migration, and youth aspiration.
Prashant Kishor could be the dark horse in the battle, with him actively campaigning for education and promising to bring back alcohol to the state.
Youth and employment
One of the key issues Bihar faces is employment generation for the youth. As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data available on the official website of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the unemployment rate (15 years and above age group) in 2017-18 in Bihar was 7 percent. This rate increased to 9.8 percent in 2018-19. As per the report, the unemployment rate has since been declining (except 2021-22) in the subsequent years..
Development in Bihar
Bihar has lagged in infrastructure, economic and industrial developments for decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has compared Nitish Kumar’s ‘sushaan’ with Lalu Yadav ‘jungle’ raj’, claiming that the NDA has rapidly increased the speed of development in the state.
Nitish Kumar recently inaugurated the state’s first double decker flyover, and PM Modi too had last month opened a key highway in the state. This morning, the chief minister also opened the first phase of Patna metro.
Rural issues
Bihar is an agricultural-dominated state with about 70 per cent of the state’s population in the sector. Farmers face ranging from irrigation, fair crop prices, crop insurance, and access to markets dominate rural conversations. Meanwhile, the opposition has called for a better dairy sector in the state.
The women support
Women have traditionally backed Nitish Kumar and are believed to be strong supporters. The Chief Minister’s policies of free bicycles for girls and reservations in panchayats may again strengthen his support among women. He had also launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojna to support women and their businesses, under which he transferred Rs 10,000 to 25 lakh women recently.
Special intensive revision: A political storm
The Election Commission of India announced the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in June this year. It blew up to be a battle between the ruling NDA and the opposition's INDIA bloc.
The ECI revised the voter roll of Bihar, removing the names of those who have died or migrated. The opposition claimed it was an exercise to just remove voters to help the BJP-led NDA bloc.
The SIR was challenged in the Supreme Court and the opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav embarked upon a ‘voter adhikar’ march alleging ‘vote theft’ by the ECI.
The Supreme Court refused to pause the SIR, but questioned the timing. It also rejected ECI’s idea of not accepting Aadhaar card as the proof of ID.
A fierce three-way faceoff between NDA, the INDIA bloc and Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj party is anticipated.
The crucial state has seen electoral as well as alliance shifts over the years. Currently the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is in power with Janata Dal (United)’s Nitish Kumar as the chief minister with BJP's support.
The veteran chief minister has ruled the state various times over the years, forming the government in alliance with both Congress and the BJP.
He won the 2020 election with the NDA but In August 2022, he walked away from the BJP-led alliance, re-built ties with the RJD camp, and returned to the chair. However, in January 2024, he once again resigned and reformed the government with BJP support.
What is Bihar voting for?
The run-up to the election has been filled with drama. Central leaders and the Bihar administration rolled out several schemes this year, ranging from skill universities to multi-thousand-crore packages, termed as the solution for migration and unemployment.
Meanwhile, the opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav has made a strong case with yatras and protests and promises. He has focused on common man issues like jobs, migration, and youth aspiration.
Prashant Kishor could be the dark horse in the battle, with him actively campaigning for education and promising to bring back alcohol to the state.
Youth and employment
One of the key issues Bihar faces is employment generation for the youth. As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data available on the official website of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the unemployment rate (15 years and above age group) in 2017-18 in Bihar was 7 percent. This rate increased to 9.8 percent in 2018-19. As per the report, the unemployment rate has since been declining (except 2021-22) in the subsequent years..
Development in Bihar
Bihar has lagged in infrastructure, economic and industrial developments for decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has compared Nitish Kumar’s ‘sushaan’ with Lalu Yadav ‘jungle’ raj’, claiming that the NDA has rapidly increased the speed of development in the state.
Nitish Kumar recently inaugurated the state’s first double decker flyover, and PM Modi too had last month opened a key highway in the state. This morning, the chief minister also opened the first phase of Patna metro.
Rural issues
Bihar is an agricultural-dominated state with about 70 per cent of the state’s population in the sector. Farmers face ranging from irrigation, fair crop prices, crop insurance, and access to markets dominate rural conversations. Meanwhile, the opposition has called for a better dairy sector in the state.
The women support
Women have traditionally backed Nitish Kumar and are believed to be strong supporters. The Chief Minister’s policies of free bicycles for girls and reservations in panchayats may again strengthen his support among women. He had also launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojna to support women and their businesses, under which he transferred Rs 10,000 to 25 lakh women recently.
Special intensive revision: A political storm
The Election Commission of India announced the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in June this year. It blew up to be a battle between the ruling NDA and the opposition's INDIA bloc.
The ECI revised the voter roll of Bihar, removing the names of those who have died or migrated. The opposition claimed it was an exercise to just remove voters to help the BJP-led NDA bloc.
The SIR was challenged in the Supreme Court and the opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav embarked upon a ‘voter adhikar’ march alleging ‘vote theft’ by the ECI.
The Supreme Court refused to pause the SIR, but questioned the timing. It also rejected ECI’s idea of not accepting Aadhaar card as the proof of ID.
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