Bihar will witness yet another face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday when both leaders would address election rallies in the second round of campaigning.
Modi is set to address three poll rallies in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Patna. Gandhi will address two rallies - one at Valmikinagar in West Champaran and another at Kuseshwar Sthan in Darbhanga.
Meanwhile, polling is underway in 71 assembly constituencies of Bihar in the first phase of three-phase elections amid tight security and COVID-19 guidelines. The second and third phases are scheduled for November 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on November 10.
Of the total 2,14,84,787 electors eligible to exercise the franchise, 1,12,76,396 are male voters, 1,01,29,101 are female electors and 599 are in third gender category, according to data provided by the Election Commission. There are 78,691 service electors. A total of 1,066 candidates -- 952 men and 114 women -- are in the fray in the first phase of elections being held in constituencies spread across 16 districts.
According to a report by poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), about 34 per cent of 1,463 candidates in the second phase of the Bihar Assembly election have declared criminal cases against themselves. About 27 per cent or 389 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Serious criminal cases are non-bailable offences with over five years of imprisonment.
As many as 502 or 34 per cent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. A total of 495 or nearly 34 per cent have given their financial assets worth crores of rupees while three candidates have declared zero assets, the report said. According to the report, 36 (64 per cent) out of 56 candidates analysed from the RJD have declared criminal cases against themselves and 28 (50 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
(With PTI inputs)
