At 67.13 per cent, it was the record voter turnout in Bihar, the highest in the state since 1951. However, for the Congress, which is fighting the elections with Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal as part of the Mahagathbandhan, it appears to be another disappointing result in its long catalogue of losses.
Congress' Ashok Gehlot blamed the Election Commission for being a "mook darshak (mute spectator)" as Rs 10,000 was being distributed while the polls were on, suggesting that it was a form of "vote chori (vote theft)", something Rahul Gandhi has been campaigning against.
Official leads indicate that the NDA is set to retain power, with the BJP currently ahead in 84 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU in 76. The opposition, the Mahagathbandhan, is currently ahead in 50 seats, with Tejashwi Yadav's RJD in 34, Congress and CPI(ML)(L) in six each, and CPM in one.
"EC mookdarshak bana raha, usne kyun nahi roka. 10,000 bat rahe the chunav chalte hue, rokna chahiye tha, roka hi nahi unhone... Iska matlab jo Rahul Gandhi vote chori ki baat kar rahe the, vote chori kya hota hai, yahi toh hota hai (EC was a mute spectator. Why did it not stop when Rs 10,000 was being distributed while the polls were on? It did not stop it. Rahul Gandhi has been speaking about vote theft. What is vote theft? This is vote theft," said Gehlot, who is a poll observer for the Congress in Bihar.
Rs 10,000 being given to women beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY) in Bihar, while the Assembly election, which was held in two phases, was in progress, marks a stark contrast to the position taken by the poll body in Tamil Nadu in the past under similar circumstances.
The MMRY, a state-funded assistance scheme covering 75 lakh women, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 26. Ten days later, on October 6, the poll body announced the Bihar polls.
The RJD and the Congress protested against the implementation of the scheme, arguing that it violates the Model Code of Conduct.
The Hindu reported that in Tamil Nadu, on two occasions in the past 20-odd years, the poll authorities have come down heavily on the implementation of two welfare schemes - one for farmers, and another for beneficiaries of the free colour television (TV) sets distribution initiative.
Though the two schemes, reported The Hindu, were under implementation well before the announcement of the poll schedule, the poll panel halted them.
"Paisa bat raha hai aur chunaav aagoy ne kuch nahi kiya, mili bhagat thi unki, unse jo ruling party thi. Aur jo paise ka duruupyog ho raha hai aajkal (Money was being distributed and the poll body did nothing. They were in cahoots with the ruling party. And the way money power is being misused these days," lamented Ashok Gehlot, directly blaming the poll body.
The Congress leader further said that his party and the RJD "do not have that kind of money".
"Aaj pratham drishti se yahi keh sakte hain 10,000, 10,000 rupaye mahilaon ko baatna, chunaav aayog ka koi rok na lagana aur khoob dhan-bal ka prayog hua hai (Today, prima facie, we can say that Rs 10,000 was being distributed among women. The Election Commission did not stop it. And money power was used," lamented the Congress leader.
"Chunaav jeeetna ek baat hai, chunaav jeet jaayenge ye log, NDA government jeet jaayegi, ban jaayegi sarkaar... par mera manna hai vichardhara jo congress ki hai woh desh ke hit main hai (It's one thing to win elections. They will win. The NDA government will be formed but I believe that the Congress' ideology is beneficial for the country," he stressed.
