Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most vital political test this yr begins on Mon.in a state with more people than Germany.
Advertisement
A total of 1,35,72,339 electorate are expected to cast their votes in 49 constituencies in the first phase.
Meanwhile, the party has also attacked both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav after a sting video of JD-U politician Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha accepting a bribe surfaced one day before the polls. Although Modi’s party scored a landslide victory in last year’s national elections – helped by a favorable outcome in 22 of the 40 seats in Bihar – his popularity is believed to have waned over the past few months.
Bihar will go for polls in a five phase election from October 12 and end on November 5. Votes will be counted on November 8.
“A BJP government in Bihar will help us work seamlessly to create jobs for the youth, look after our farmers and ensure overall development, which is the antidote to every single problem”, Modi said last week, touting his “pro-development” reputation and promising jobs in the impoverished state.
Polling was peaceful, R. Lakshmanan, a state electoral officer, said in Bihar’s capital, Patna. Although he is skeptical about Modi delivering on his promises, he said “there should be improvement, progress”. “It might be a positive for the markets if he wins, & a unfavorable if he loses ’cause will probably be seen as troublesome for him to pass by means of legislative reforms”, asserted Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at the Mumbai-based Credit Analysis & Research Ltd. “A loss could moreover mean the government could be losing its charisma and signal further losses in the state elections to follow”.
Opinion polls are predicting a closely fought election, with the BJP-led alliance holding the edge.
Advertisement
The election in Bihar also comes amid rising tensions over what a few see as an effort by the BJP to push religious polarization. The party had on similar instances, during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, violated the Election Commission’s mandate during Modi’s rallies. But the issue turned volatile when a Muslim man was mobbed to death on the outskirts of Delhi two weeks ago on rumors that he had eaten beef. “I particularly urge my young friends to cast their vote.” the Prime Minister tweeted.
