Bihar elections: Campaigning for first phase of polls to end today, Nitish Kumar, Smriti Irani to hold rallies

With the first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 scheduled for October 28, the campaigning for the high-decibel polls will conclude on Monday evening.

To convince voters, several key leaders including BJP national president JP Nadda, JD(U) supremo and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Smriti Irani, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan will hold election rallies on Monday (October 26), in favour of their party and allies candidates.

The polls will see the contest between two alliances - The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising, among others, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal(United), versus the opposition 'Mahagathbandhan,' comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and Left parties.

Being the last day for campaigning, the leaders are making a last-ditch effort to woo voters. Political bigwigs Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also addressed rallies on Friday.

Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar is the NDA's chief ministerial face and is engaged in holding rallies one after the another.

A total of 71 assembly constituencies spread over 16 districts will go to polls in the first phase of elections on October 28 and 31,000 polling station have been established.

As per the Election Commission, in the first phase of elections, the fate of 1,066 candidates will be decided by 2,14,6,960 voters. Security has been tightened in Naxal-affected areas.

According to the commission, the State will vote in 3 phases--On October 28, November 3, November 7 and the results will be announced on November 10.

In the past week, the parties released their manifestos and sharpened their attacks on rival parties. While BJP and JD (U) leaders are attacking RJD for its "Jungle-Raaj" (Lawlessness) in their past tenure, RJD leaders constantly pitching their pre-poll promise of providing 10 lakh jobs to youths.

Chirag Paswan, chief of the LJP--a former ally of the NDA--has been vocal in his criticism of Kumar, who is the chief ministerial candidate of the NDA. He has, however, pledged support to the Prime Minister, calling himself as "Modi's Hanuman".

Tejashwi Yadav has been constantly attacking and ridiculing the Chief Minister for being "physically and mentally tired".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong attack on RJD and its allies in Bihar and promoted NDA government's achievements including abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the law against instant triple talaq.

In 2015 Assembly polls, Nitish Kumar was the Chief Ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan as JDU had parted ways with the NDA. However, in 2017 Nitish had returned to the NDA fold.