Bihar Polls: Campaigning for second phase to end today

The cacophony of canvassing for the second phase of Bihar Assembly Elections, due on November 3, will end on Sunday evening with all political parties having gone full-throttle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also in Bihar to conduct rallies in favour of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates. Modi has four election meetings on card for the day.

Apart from Modi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari are also on a campaigning spree.

On the other hand, many leaders including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav are holding meetings and rallies for the Grand Alliance.

Voting for 94 Assembly constituencies will be held on Tuesday in the second phase of polling. In this phase, many heavyweights including Nandkishor Yadav (Patna Sahib), Randhir Singh (Madhuban), Shravan Kumar (Nalanda), Tejashwi Yadav (Raghopur), Tejpratap Yadav (Hasanpur) and Luv Sinha (Bankipur) are in fray. A total of 1,463 candidates are trying their fate in this phase.

Security has been beefed up in the Maoist-affected areas.

In this election, the NDA has a direct fight with Grand Alliance or 'mahagathbandhan'. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA has Janata Dal (United), Hindustani Awam Morcha, Vikassheel Insaan Party in its fraction while NDA's partner at the Centre, Lok Janashakti Party, has decided to go solo in these elections.

On the other hand, the Grand Alliance includes RJD, Congress and Left parties.

Election for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly are set to be held in three phases, out of which polling for the first phase was conducted on October 28. After the second phase of polling on November 3, remaining 78 constituencies will go to poll on November 7. The counting of votes is due on November 10..