KATHMANDU: People in Bihar are casting their votes for the first phase of assembly elections for 71 seats amidst COVID-19 on Wednesday.

The RJD-led opposition alliance is making a determined bid to unseat the ruling NDA government led by Nitish Kumar in a keen contest.

The elections have also seen the emergence of a third front with RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha as the chief ministerial candidate. LJP is fighting the polls outside the NDA and has put up candidates against JD-U.

Elections to 243-seat Bihar assembly are being held in three phases. A total of 71 assembly constituencies spread over 16 districts are going to polls in the first phase and will decide the fate of 1,066 candidates. A total of 2,14,84,787 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.

Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, political parties used wide screens to take their message to people.

In NDA, JD-U is contesting 115 seats, BJP 110, Vikassheel Insaan Party 11 seats and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha seven seats of the total 243 seats in the state.

In the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), which has Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, RJD is contesting 144 seats, Congress 70, CPI-ML 19, CPI six and CPI-M four.

Nitish Kumar is eyeing his fourth term with BJP by his side. In 2015, Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) fought polls with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress as part of Mahagathbandhan. The BJP-led NDA had fought elections with LJP and other allies. JD-U later returned to NDA and formed the government.

While BJP and JD-U leaders have been accusing RJD of “jungle raaj” (lawlessness) in its earlier rule, Mahagathbandhan leaders have been pitching their promise of providing 1 million jobs to the youth.

The polling for the other two phases will be held on November 3, and 7 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.  (With inputs from Agencies)