Most seats may witness multi-cornered contests

The RJD has been facing a tough time ever since its allies – the Congress and CPI – announced their decision to part with Laloo Prasad Yadav’s party. The Opposition bench is, nonetheless, trouble-free as the BJP’s major partners – the Janata Dal (U) and Samata Party – are yet to come to an amicable agreement on the seat-sharing issue.

However, political observers feel that some sort of an agreement would be reached between the NDA partners, which have promised the people to give them a “relief from the jungle raj”.

It seemscertain that most of the seats would have multi-cornered contests. The Congress has already announced to contest alone in all the 324 seats which go to polls. The CPI this time is keeping aloof from the RJD and is trying for a new combination between the Left and other “secular” parties.The main issues expected to be highlighted by almost all parties except the RJD will be the deteriorating law and order situation and the under-development.

For free and fair conduct of the polls, the state government has demanded more than 400 companies of paramilitary forces.

The failure of the merger of the Samata Party with the JD (U) has given a jolt to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but now it seems that all these parties would contest the polls on the pattern of the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, Samata Party, JD(U) and Bihar People’s Party are likely to forge an alliance projecting the most viable anti-Laloo force while on the other hand the Congress-Left party alliance barring the CPM will try to projectitself as an alternative to the Laloo-Rabri combine.However, the RJD in alliance with the CPM is yet to announce their strategy with the CPM Leaders still urging their Left counterparts to join their front.

The RJD would raise the issues of secularism, economic reforms, patent Bill, hijacking and other central issues while the rest of the Opposition parties would go offensive against the RJD rule.

Almost all the parties, except the RJD, were facing a tough struggle on the name of the possible chief minister if their party was voted to power but now they are leaving all these issues to be discussed after the election result.