Patna, October 23: (ABN) Voting will take place today, Friday, for eight seats of the Bihar Legislative Council. A total of 150 candidates are trying their luck in this election being held across four graduate and four teacher constituencies, while 5 lakh 32 thousand 847 voters will exercise their right to franchise. The administration has completed all preparations to conduct the polling process in a peaceful and orderly manner. Voting will take place from 8 am to 4 pm, while the counting of votes will be held on October 27. This election is being considered crucial for Bihar politics. On all eight seats, there is a contest among NDA, Mahagathbandhan, Jan Suraaj, and independent candidates. In several constituencies, instead of a direct contest between political parties, a multi-cornered fight has emerged.
For the election process, 993 polling stations have been set up. The deployment of polling staff, security arrangements, and other necessary preparations related to voting have been completed. Unlike general assembly elections, voting on these seats will be conducted through ballot papers instead of EVMs. Voters in the graduate and teacher constituencies will mark numbers in front of the candidates according to their preferences. It is mandatory to write the digit '1' in front of the candidate's name for the first preference. Voters have been instructed to follow the electoral rules while marking their preferences on the ballot paper to ensure their vote is counted as valid.
The Patna Graduate constituency is particularly under discussion in this election. JDU has once again fielded incumbent Member of Legislative Council Neeraj Kumar. Competing against him are Anuj Singh of Jan Suraaj, Dilip Kumar of RJD, and Asadullah Khan of Congress, along with other candidates in the fray. Internal differences within JDU on this seat have also become a topic of political discussion. Mokama MLA Anant Singh has opposed Neeraj Kumar and supported Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh. On the other hand, the event where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached Neeraj Kumar's residence to bless him for success in the election is also being given significant importance.
The political significance of this meeting has increased because JDU MLA from Mokama, Anant Singh, is opposing his own party's candidate, Neeraj Kumar. Anant Singh has announced his support for Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh, who is contesting from the Patna Graduate constituency. He is also campaigning in his favor. Anant Singh and Neeraj Kumar have old political differences. Anant Singh says that Neeraj Kumar had taken a political stand against him in the past, which is why he will not support him in this election.
Neeraj Kumar is counted among the senior leaders and chief spokespersons of JDU, while Anant Singh is the MLA from Mokama. The growing bitterness between the two leaders has made JDU's internal political situation a subject of discussion. On one hand, Anant Singh is supporting the opponent to defeat Neeraj Kumar, while on the other hand, Nitish Kumar giving his blessings to Neeraj Kumar is being viewed as support from the party leadership.
Political parties have intensified their activities regarding the elections for the teacher and graduate constituency seats of the Bihar Legislative Council. The results of these elections will make it clear how much impact the candidates' political strategies and mutual differences had on the voting. A special eye is being kept on the contest between Neeraj Kumar and Anuj Singh in the Patna Graduate constituency.
Now it remains to be seen to what extent Nitish Kumar's support and Anant Singh's opposition affect the election results. Jan Suraaj has fielded candidates on all eight seats, while independent candidates are also making the contest interesting in several constituencies. In such a scenario, the election results will not only determine the political standing of the candidates but also indicate the organizational strength and voter trends of various parties.
After today's voting, the fate of all candidates will be sealed in the ballot boxes. The counting of votes will take place on October 27, after which it will become clear which candidates achieve victory on these eight seats of the Legislative Council.
