Polling in the second phase of Bihar Assembly election is currently underway. Polling is taking place in 94 seats. A total of 2.85 crore voters will decide the fate of nearly 1,500 candidates. The second phase will cover 94 assembly seats in 17 districts.
Notable among the candidates is the RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, and RJD turncoat Chandrika Rai. Let's take a look at the prominent seats and candidates who are ready to slug it out in the second phase.
Tejashwi Yadav (Raghopur)
Tejashwi, 31, is the opposition Grand Alliance’s Chief Ministerial candidate. He has been aggressively trying to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor against the Nitish Kumar government. He is seeking re-election from Raghopur in the Vaishali district. The seat is considered an RJD stronghold. The seat was represented by Tejashwi's mother Rabri Devi before BJP’s Satish Kumar emerged as a giant killer in the 2010 elections.
The BJP has once again fielded Satish Kumar from here, hoping that he will be able to do a repeat of 2010 when, like this time, JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was with the NDA.
Tej Pratap Yadav (Hasanpur)
Tej Pratap Yadav is the elder brother of Tejashwi. He is trying his luck from Hasanpur in Samastipur district, shifting his base from Mahua in Vaishali. There were reports that NDA could field his estranged wife Aishwarya from Mahua. Aishwarya is already taking an active part in the campaign for her father Chandrika Rai. Tej Pratap is pitted against two-time sitting MLA Rajkumar Rai of the JD(U).
Chandrika Roy (Parsa)
Chandrika Roy is contesting from the Parsa seat on a JD(U) ticket. Chandrika is the father-in-law of Tej Pratap Yadav. Once considered Lalu's confidant, Chandrika joined the JD(U) just ahead of the Assembly polls. He has represented the seat several times.
Nand Kishore Yadav (Patna Sahib)
Nand Kishore Yadav is a minister in the Nitish Kumar government. The BJP leader is in the fray trying to retain Patna Sahib for a seventh consecutive term.
Nitin Nabin (Bankipore)
Three-time BJP MLA Nitin Nabin is facing a challenge in Bankipore from Congress candidate Luv Sinha, who is the son of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and Pushpam Priya Choudhary of the Plurals Party.
Mandakini Chaudhary (Harlakhi)
Mandakini Chaudhary, who holds an MBA degree, is contesting from Harlakhi vidhan sabha in Madhubani district as an independent. Mandakini had declined multiple lucrative job offers and took a political plunge with a vow to bring a change in the lives of the poor. After obtaining MBA in Rural Management in 2013, Chaudhary settled in her village Sujatpur in Pirokhar panchayat on the border of Madhubani-Sitamarhi. Her Twitter bio reads, "MUKHIYA, Pirokhar Panchayat. After doing MBA, chosen politics as a career and dedicated to work for youth empowerment and employment in BIHAR".
Manju Verma (Cheriya Bariyarpur)
The Cheriya Bariyarpur seat in Begusarai is in the talks after JD(U) fielded Manju Verma. Verma's name was mired into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case. In August 2018, she resigned as a minister for social welfare. The case involved 34 girls who were allegedly exploited at a shelter home. The shelter home was funded by the Verma's department. It was run by Brajesh Thakur, owner of a local vernacular newspaper. Verma's husband Chandrashekhar was a frequent visitor there.
