In Bihar, election-related activities are picking up momentum after the announcement of schedule of Lok Sabha elections. Election will be completed in seven phases for forty parliamentary constituencies spread over the state.
More than seven crore 67 lakh electorates will decide the fate of contesting candidates for all 40 parliamentary constituencies this time in Bihar. There is sizeable number of youth voters in the state. More than one crore 73 lakh youth voters of 19 to 30 years old are eligible for cast their vote this time whereas number of first time voters is more than 10 lakh. Chief Electoral Officer H R Shrinivas has said all steps are being taken to ensure free, fare and peaceful elections. More than 77 thousand polling stations have been set up where all basic amenities like drinking water, shed, seating facilities and toilets will be provided. Voter’s awareness programmes under SVEEP campaign are in full swing. The Election Commission is leaving no stone unturned to make election inclusive and participatory. Meanwhile the process of filing of nomination papers began for the first phase with gazette notification on 20th March. Voting will take place on 19th April in four naxal affected Lok Sabha seats of Gaya, Aurangabad, Nawada and Jamui.
Two prominent coalitions NDA and Grand Alliance are in the battlefield of election in Bihar. The coalition partners of BJP led NDA are JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party Ramvilas, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha. The Grand Alliance which recently saw so many defections in the constituents consist of Congress, RJD and Left Wing Parties of CPIML, CPM and CPI.
