Campaigning for the elections to eight seats of the Bihar Legislative Council concluded at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, with polling scheduled for October 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., IANS reported. Counting of votes will take place on October 27 and the election process is scheduled to conclude by October 31.
A total of 150 candidates are contesting the elections — 90 for the four Graduate constituencies and 60 for the four Teachers' constituencies — across 933 polling stations, where 5,32,847 voters (yaani about 5.33 lakh voters) are eligible to vote, according to IANS. The Graduate constituencies are Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Kosi, while the Teachers' constituencies are Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Saran. Patna Press, in its own report on the campaign close, likewise put the contest across the same four-plus-four constituencies.
The elections have turned into a three-way contest among the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Opposition Mahagathbandhan and Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party, which has fielded candidates in all eight constituencies and is seeking to challenge the traditional players, IANS reported.
Patna Graduate seat: a test inside the NDA
The Patna Graduate constituency has emerged as the most high-profile contest. The JD(U) has renominated incumbent MLC Neeraj Kumar, who is seeking a fourth consecutive victory. He faces Anuj Singh of the Jan Suraaj Party, Dilip Kumar of the RJD and Asadullah Khan of the Congress, according to IANS and Patna Press.
The contest has been complicated for the JD(U) by its own Mokama MLA Anant Singh, who has openly extended support to Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh and campaigned against his party's official nominee. Anant Singh has said his decision stems from a personal dispute with Neeraj Kumar, alleging that Kumar worked against him during the previous Assembly election — an allegation reported by Patna Press. India Today's analysis, carried by News89 and The CSR Journal, frames the eight-seat election as a test of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's leadership and of NDA unity, with the alliance needing its constituents to campaign cohesively for the officially chosen candidates.
Neeraj Kumar's recent hospitalisation has added another dimension to the final phase of campaigning. IANS reported that Kumar was admitted to hospital after his health deteriorated, and that senior leaders visited him to enquire about his condition. Anant Singh publicly questioned the illness reports, describing them as 'drama' — a claim reported as his allegation, not an established fact.
Campaign ended: 5 p.m., October 21. Polling: October 23, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Counting: October 27. Seats: 8 (4 Graduate + 4 Teachers'). Candidates in fray: 150. Polling stations: 933. Eligible voters: 5,32,847 (yaani about 5.33 lakh).
What is solid
- Campaigning for the eight Bihar Legislative Council seats ended at 5 p.m. on October 21, with polling on October 23 and counting on October 27 (IANS; Patna Press).
- 150 candidates are in the fray — 90 Graduate and 60 Teachers' — across 933 polling stations with 5,32,847 eligible voters (IANS).
- JD(U) MLA Anant Singh has openly supported Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh against his own party's Patna Graduate nominee Neeraj Kumar (IANS; Patna Press).
What is only claimed
- Anant Singh's allegation that Neeraj Kumar worked against him in the previous Assembly election, and his claim that Kumar's hospitalisation is 'drama' — both are his stated positions, not established facts.
- Whether the internal NDA differences will actually cost the alliance seats — analysis and campaign claims differ; the result will be known on October 27.
With campaigning now closed, all eyes shift to polling day on October 23 across the eight constituencies, and to whether the NDA can hold its graduate and teacher bases against the Mahagathbandhan and an ambitious Jan Suraaj challenge.