Bihar polls: It's exam time for RJD's Tej Pratap and Tejashwi

PATNA: The third phase of polling on Wednesday will determine the political future of Bihar's longest reigning political family -though it has been out of office for the last 10 years. Between Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, the family has ruled for 15 years.

Their two sons, Tej Pratap (28) and Tejashwi (26), will cut their political teeth when voters in Mahua and Raghopur constituencies will press the EVM buttons along with 1.46 crore electors who will seal the destiny of 808 candidates in 50 constituencies spread across Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Nalanda, Bhojpur and Buxar districts.

But, much more is at stake for the saffron alliance. In 2010, it had won 19 seats in the six districts. The leader of the opposition Nand Kishore Yadav is contesting from Patna Sahib, BJP chief whip in outgoing assembly Arun Kumar Sinha from Kumhrar, deputy speaker Amarendra Pratap Singh from Ara, seven-term MLA S N Arya from Rajgir, former MLC Ganga Prasad's son Sanjiv Chaurasiya from Digha and former Union minister C P Thakur's son Vivek Thakur is in the fray from Brahmpur. Apart from Tej Pratap and Tejashwi, the other Mahagathbandhan biggies are JD(U) ministers Shrawan Kumar and Shyam Rajak from Nalanda and Phulwarisharif, and former Union minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress from Tarari.In 2010, JD(U) had won 23 and RJD eight of the 50 seats voting in the third phase.

Among the BJP allies in the race are former minister Brishen Patel (HAM-S) from Vaishali and strongman Sunil Pandey's wife Gita Pandey (LJP) from Tarari. After parting ways with JD(U), jailed bahubali MLA Anant Singh is contesting as an independent from Mokama.

Two helicopters and three drones will help EC monitor the polls from the sky while 1,107 companies (100 personnel each) of Central armed police forces and state police will be deployed. Over Rs 6.85 crore cash and 2.45 lakh litres of illicit liquor worth Rs 4.37 crore have been seized by security officials from the six districts.

In all, 75,149 polling officials will be deployed at the 14,170 booths. While 1,909 polling stations are in Left-wing extremist affected areas, 6,747 other booths have been marked critical and 479 are model polling booths.