The political cauldron of Bihar is set to boil over as the crucial first phase of the assembly elections gets underway on Thursday. Polling will take place across 121 constituencies spread over 18 districts, setting the tone for the entire two-phase election (the second phase is on November 11) and determining the fate of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against the resurgent Mahagathbandhan.

With the fate of 1,314 candidates, including political veterans and prominent debutants, to be sealed by the voters, this phase is a high-stakes referendum on the incumbent NDA and the challenging Mahagathbandhan. Also, the Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party’s performance in recent bypolls suggests it can influence outcomes, even if it doesn’t win seats outright.

The Electoral Calcu

See Full Page