NDA will win in Bihar on Modi’s popularity: Jaitley

Describing the Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance as a gathering of “depressed” people and parties, the BJP leader claimed that negative perception about Congress, RJD and JD(U) was also working in NDA’s favour.

Nitish Kumar’s model of development, implemented when he became Chief Minister in 2005, emphasised rapidly increasing the size of the State, from public works, to schools, to a number of benefits schemes.

“Modi is playing the communal card on reservation”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s oratory skills, connect with the people and Bharatiya Janata Party’s massive election machinery is capable of turning around the fortunes of the party in a matter of days.

The grand alliance managed to spread the word throughout the State and polarised the South Carolina, EBC and the deprived classes against the NDA, which sealed its fate. Without this, the minority vote would have split into several portions, with Owaisi also emerging as a benefactor.

As he did for Modi, Prashant Kishor has set up a body for the Nitish campaign, called I-PAC, the India Political Action Committee.

When journalists asked him who he thought will win the Bihar battle, Sinha retorted: “Khamosh” (silence). In any case, full marks must be given to Modi for having tried to rescue a hard situation for the party which was fighting a very vicious rumor campaign by the opposition on the “Reservation” issue.

BJP had far greater traction among “backward” and Dalit voters in this phase, especially more so in Bhojpur, Buxar and Patna districts which essentially brought out the Upper Caste-EBC-Dalit vote base of the NDA to the forefront. Polling will conclude at 5 p.m.in 40 constituencies, while in the remaining 10 Naxal-affected constituencies it will end at 4 p.m.

The edge is with the “mahagathbandan” but with two more rounds of polling to go in Bihar, the mandate remains anyone’s guess until the ballot boxes are opened.

Officials said voters in over a dozen villages boycotted the polls to protest what they said was lack of development in their areas.

Lalu Prasad’s prestige was at stake on Wednesday as his sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejaswi Yadav were in the fray. In Arrah and Vaishali districts, saffron candidates appear to be have drawn support from EBCs and Dalits.

There is no doubt that caste weighs heavily on the minds of many voters, but caste groups have a significant “floating vote” that is more than large enough to swing the election. This is also crucial for Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is contesting on ten seats.