After a vote in February failed to produce a clear winner, the Congress-led government in Delhi imposed central control in May and dissolved the state Assembly. (This is far from unprecedented in India.) New elections are underway, with counting scheduled for Nov. 22.

An exit poll by Star News television channel predicted the Congress-led federal alliance was tied neck and neck with an opposition coalition led by the Hindu nationalist Bharitya Janata Party:

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The election will be a battle for survival for Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) maverick leader and railway minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who draws support from millions of poor and lower-caste Hindus.

His party is the second largest in the federal coalition and analysts say a poor showing could see leftist allies bring more pressure on the government to slow economic reforms.

"A defeat would allow the leftists to re-ignite the debate over reforms as they would cite the loss as people's rejection of the Congress' free-market policies," Rangarajan said, referring to the Congress Party, which heads the federal government.

Bihar was ruled for 15 years by the RJD before polls in February returned a hung assembly and ended its reign.

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Steel Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s electoral plank, "a Muslim CM for Bihar" virtually forced Bihar into the second round of Assembly poll. The Communist Party of India general secretary, who is contesting Bihar elections in alliance with the LJP, said "It cannot be considered communal, it is only an appeal. . . how can projecting a Muslim become a violation?

"Lok Janshakti" means "Peoples' Power."

"My party, LJP, in alliance with the Left parties, will capture at least 129 seats:"

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Until and unless Hindus talk about Muslims, upper-castes talk about lower-castes and vice versa, you cannot get rid of communalism and casteism. Further, it is a question of rights also. Besides Jammu and Kashmir, Muslims have the right to become Chief Ministers in States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where they have a sizeable population. It is unfortunate that despite accounting for over 17 per cent of the population, no Muslim has become the CM of UP. So how is it wrong to demand a Muslim CM in Bihar?

I did not want the communal BJP to capture power in Bihar. I had urged JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar to snap ties with the BJP and come forward to form a government. But he did not do so.

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[ 05 November 2005: Message edited by: Wilf Day ]

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Surely babblers aren't guilty of First World bias?

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Originally posted by Hinterland:
Do you think scold and guilt make babblers more receptive to the plight of the Bihari?

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. . all the political parties, both 'secular' and 'communal', are trying hard to woo the Muslim voter in the ongoing state Assembly election.

All the parties have given good representation to Muslims in selection of candidates, the BJP being the only exception having fielded just one Muslim candidate even as it is contesting 102 of the 243 seats. Although the NDA (the governing coalition in India) has shown interest in Muslim votes and its ally, the JD(U), has been even making some promises to the community, the alliance has fielded only ten Muslim candidates of whom nine are JD(U) nominees. The NDA's chief ministerial face, Nitish Kumar, loses no opportunity to exhibit his pro-Muslim character. He also attended 'iftar' parties and went to greet the Muslims at Jama Masjid in Patna on last Friday of Ramzan — something he never did in the past.

The RJD, known for its secular credentials and pro-Muslim leanings for the last 15 years, has given tickets of 30 Muslims, two less than the February 2005 polls. Congress has fielded 12, and NCP four, Muslim candidates.

The LJP, which has made the Muslim chief minister issue its main plank, has fielded Muslims in as many as 46 of the 204 seats it is contesting. CPI has fielded three and CPI(ML) four Muslim candidates.

The BSP, which is contesting maximum number of seats, 240 in all, has given tickets to 27 Muslims as against 20 fielded by its arch rival in UP, Samajwadi Party, which is contesting 167 Bihar seats.

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