The campaign for the final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for Tuesday (November 11), ended on Sunday evening.
Elections will be held across 122 constituencies in 20 districts.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing poll rallies in Bihar's Kishanganj and Purnea, alleged that the BJP and RSS were trying to divide the nation, while the INDIA bloc was making efforts to unite the country.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav reiterated promises such as government jobs for at least one member of every family and stipends for women. "You have given the NDA a chance to rule for 20 years. Give me a chance. I will prove myself in 20 months."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Sasaram town, charged the INDIA bloc with trying to build a 'corridor for infiltrators', unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wanted to build an 'industrial corridor'.
Away from much spotlight was the silent but determined campaign by CM Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) supremo, who is aiming for a fifth consecutive term in office.
After sharing the stage with Modi at his inaugural rally in Samastipur a fortnight ago, Kumar was not seen at any of the PM's public meetings or the roadshow in Patna, leading the opposition to allege that all was not well between the allies.
However, Kumar, whose health has been a matter of much speculation, remained unperturbed and went on with his rallies and impromptu roadshows when the weather played spoilsport.
The campaign of the Jan Suraaj Party, considered to be the 'X factor' of this election, was all about its founder, Prashant Kishor, who has been credited with managing many glitzy campaigns of political bigwigs across the country, but chose to sweat it out in his home state with a conventional door-to-door style of outreach.
The first phase of the Bihar polls registered a record 65 per cent voter turnout.
In the second phase of polling, the BJP is contesting 53 seats, followed by the JD(U) on 44, LJP (RV) on 15, RLM on 4, and HAM on 6 seats. From the Mahagathbandhan side, the RJD, leading the alliance, is contesting 72 seats, the Congress on 37, the VIP on 10, and others on 5.
Among the significant seats going to the polls in this phase are Chakai, from where JD(U) minister Sumit Kumar Singh is seeking a re-election, BJP MLA Shreyasi Singh's Jamui, JD(U) minister Leshi Singh's Dhamdaha, and BJP minister Neeraj Kumar Singh's Chhatapur.
(With inputs from PTI)