National

NDA hopes to double tally in Bihar first phase

Special Correspondent

Counts on its "social base" ofupper castes and non-Yadav backward castes.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party hopes to "double" along with the Janata Dal (United) the electoral victories in the first phase of polling for 58 Assembly seats in Bihar on Tuesday.

In the February polls, the combine could win only 18 of some 60 seats. This figure could double, said a senior party leader here on Monday.

The claim is that JD (U) leader and Chief Ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar is drawing large crowds. With a "social base" made up of upper castes and non-Yadav backward castes, the NDA hopes for some stunning results.

In February, Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Jan Shakti Party took away a huge chunk of the upper caste vote. All its nine candidates, who won from the area covered under the first phase this time, are from upper castes.

In Bihar, caste comes first, then the candidate and last the party symbol, says a senior BJP leader in-charge of campaign. If Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad was the central figure for nearly two decades, this time Mr. Kumar may well take his place, claims the BJP leader.

Lalu's failure

But party leaders admit that the BJP has been making such claims for the past several elections in the State. Perhaps this time, especially because Mr. Prasad failed to form a government in February, the NDA is more hopeful than before.

At a meeting of the general secretaries chaired by BJP president L.K. Advani here on Monday, a detailed "report" of the Bihar situation was given. Forty NDA leaders have been simultaneously holding meetings to cover the 58 constituencies.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu