The article discusses Phase 2 of Bihar Assembly election that took place and had a 31% turn up by midday. It lays more emphasis on the state of Seemanchal which can be deemed as one of the battlegrounds and which will most probably determine the result between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan formations.
During the second round of the Bihar Assembly elections, the tally of voters was approximately 31.38 percent by 11 a.m. when polls opened in some key districts.
This stage includes much territory, such as Magadh, Champaran and the so-called game changer in the election result, the so-called Seemanchal belt.
Why should Seemanchal be the determiner of the verdict?
The high concentration of Muslim and Dalit voters is reflected in the region of Seemanchal that borders Nepal and consists of several districts like Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, and some others.
It is considered crucial by parties since the type of votes it will receive can swing the balance to either go to the ruling alliance or the opposition.
The performance is very serious at this stage. This is a battle between a rejuvenated opposition of the Mahagathbandhan alliance against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). New entrants and smaller regional parties are also fighting in the game, increasing the intensity of the battle.
Identifying the best parts of the day till now
- The election is going on in more than 45,000 voting points, most of which are in the rural areas.
- The voting age group of 30-60 years is the largest, and the electorate has a larger number of women nationwide.
- It is perceived that regional parties such as the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), among others, are likely to divide the votes and change the result in the major seats.
Intriguingly, one of the interesting events is that there are a number of turncoat candidates, i.e., politicians who have crossed the floor since the previous election, and this serves to create more twists in this phase.
Although the turnout was humble as of morning, a lot of it could still depend on the other polling that should come forth today, particularly in Seemanchal. Having a high turnout would leave one side with a good opportunity.
Already the focus is on how these early results and regional trends will influence the final outcome that is due November 14.
It will be significant to follow:
- The pick-up of voter turnout in the afternoon and evening slots.
- The performance of regional parties, whether they affect the vote split or not.
- The last characters of Seemanchal, which perhaps provide a foreshadowing of which side is getting the better of the other.
This phase is sure to be critical in the Bihar elections with such high stakes and changing dynamics.
