Bihar Polls 2020: Chidambaram calls Nitish Kumar's 'last election' ploy a 'plea for mercy'

As the campaign for the last phase of the Bihar polls comes to an end, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said by declaring that this ongoing state assembly polls as his last assembly elections, Nitish Kumar has conceded his defeat. His tweet in Hindi can be roughly translated to: 'WhenNitish Kumar announced that this would be his last election, he effectively conceded his defeat.' Chidambaram also asked why people of Bihar should vote for a person, who from the first day will become lethargic. 

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Bihar Polls 2020: Chidambaram once again attacks Nitish Kumar 

Criticising Nitish Kumar's last election appeal, the Congress leader declared that oppositions' 'last election' is not an appeal for support based on his performance. Instead, this is a plea for mercy on the basis of his non-performance, he added. This comment came after the CM, on the last day of the election campaign, stunned his audience by saying that Bihar polls 2020 is his last. He said, "Today is the last day of the campaign. Polling will take place a day after tomorrow. This is my last election. All is well that ends well."

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Bihar Polls 2020

The Bihar Assembly has a strength of 243 members out of which 38 seats are reserved for SC and two for ST. In the 2015 state polls, the Mahagathbandhan comprising RJD, JD(U) and Congress won a whopping majority with 178 seats under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. On the other hand, the BJP-led alliance won from only 58 constituencies. On July 26, 2017, Nitish Kumar stepped down as the CM citing irreconcilable differences with RJD over corruption allegations against Tejashwi Yadav and joined hands with its former ally BJP.

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The voting for the final phase of the Bihar election will take place on November 7. Seven lakh hand sanitizers, 46 lakh masks, 6 lakh PPE kits, 6.7 lakh face shields, and 23 lakh pairs of hand gloves have been arranged for the election. To observe the COVID-19 prevention norms, each polling booth has less than 1,000 voters. To decongest polling stations further, the voting time has been increased by one hour. Thus, people are being able to cast their votes from 7 am to 6 pm barring for the areas affected by Left-wing extremism. The counting of votes will take place on November 10. 

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