Bihar elections: MoS Nityanand Rai confident of NDA forming govt with two-third majority

Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday exuded confidence that the NDA will form the next government in Bihar with the two-third majority while asserting that the development work by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reached the people of the Bihar.

"There is an NDA wave in the state. There is huge support on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name and work. The people of Bihar are with PM Modi just like the people in the rest of the country," Rai said while addressing media in Patna.

The statement by the MoS comes after the state went to polls in the first phase on October 28 in 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts whereas the polling for the second phase and the third phase will take place on November 3 on November 7 respectively, while the vote counting will be conducted on November 10.

Earlier in the day, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that nearly 46,000 villages in Bihar will be connected with optical fibre network in the next 6-7 months. He also said that the government aims to provide free Wi-Fi spot in every village for one year.

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Bihar election 2020

The first phase saw a voter turnout of 55.69% with the poll percentage better compared to that in 2015. A major battle is expected between the two major alliances -- NDA and Mahagathbandhan. From the NDA fold, BJP is contesting on 121 seats of which 11 seats have been allocated to its smaller allies, while the ruling JDU in coalition with BJP is contesting on 122 seats of which 7 seats are allotted to Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM, in the 243 seat Bihar assembly election.

This election saw the LJP contesting solo as the party made an exit from NDA for having differences over the seat-sharing ratio with JDU. On the other hand, Mahagathbandhan consisting of Congress and RJD will have Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face with RJD-Congress agreeing on 144:70 seat-sharing ratio along with three other Communist parties contesting on 29 seats.

(With ANI inputs. Image: PTI)

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