NEW DELHI: The stage is set for Bihar’s two-phase assembly elections, with the final list of candidates now in place after the last day for withdrawal of nominations ended on Thursday.Voting in the second and last phase will take place on November 11 across 122 constituencies in 20 districts, while the first phase is scheduled for November 6. Counting of votes will be held on November 14.

On the final day of withdrawal, the Mahagathbandhan declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, in what is being seen as a late bid to resolve internal disputes and project unity ahead of the polls.As the 243-member assembly heads for one of its most closely watched elections, here are five key numbers that define the contest — from alliance equations, caste composition to prominent battles and the state’s final voter roll.

1) The NDA’s slate of candidates

Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal, includes Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). The number of candidates announced by each Mahagathbandhan party was as follows:

The Mahagathbandhan initially had about 12 seats where at least two allies filed nominations. However, this notion of a friendly fight has invited criticism from the NDA alliance, which has had no fissures after its seat-sharing arrangements were announced.

Later on, however, Congress candidates Aditya Kumar and Satish Kumar withdrew their nominations from Lalganj seat and Warisaliganj seat. Congress candidate Tauquir Alam from Pranpur also withdrew his nomination in favour of RJD’s Ishrat Parween.VIP candidate Bindu Gulab Yadav from Babubarhi constituency withdrew her nomination for RJD’s Arun Kumar Singh.There are still some seats where constituents of the INDIA bloc are set to lock horns against each other. According to the news agency PTI, the following assembly constituencies are among these: Narkatiaganj, Vaishali, Rajapakar, Rosera, Bachhwara, Kahalgaon, Biharsharif, and Sikandara.Even though the issue of ‘friendly fights’ on some seats still pertains, Ashok Gehlot has indicated that it is not a matter of concern.“In 243 seats, due to local leaders and equations, a situation like a friendly fight sometimes arises on 5-7 seats. This is a very small number, but a campaign was run against the Mahagathbandhan in the media over it, whereas in reality, there is no problem at all,” he said.

3) The caste arithmetic

A caste survey was conducted in Bihar in 2023 to determine the exact population of each caste, aiming to bolster demands for expanded quotas.The survey found that the EBCs constitute the largest portion at 36 per cent, along with the other backward classes at 27 per cent, which amounts to 63 per cent of the total 13.07 crore population of the state; together, they constitute the socially hefty segment of backward classes. Meanwhile, the “upper caste” groups among Hindus account for only 10.6 per cent.Muslims make up about 17.7% of Bihar’s population, and around 80-87% of Muslim votes have historically gone to RJD.

4) Key fights

i) Raghopur: Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) vs Satish Kumar Yadav (BJP) vs Chanchal Singh (JSP)ii) Mahua: Mukesh Kumar Raushan (RJD) vs Sanjay Singh (LJP-RV) vs Tej Pratap Yadav (Janshakti Janata Dal)iii) Hasanpur: Mala Pushpam (RJD) vs Raj Kumar Ray (JD(U))iv) Aliganj: Maithili Thakur (BJP) vs Binod Mishra (RJD)v) Tarapur: Samrat Choudhary (BJP) vs Arun Kumar (RJD)

5) Total number of voters

In Bihar, the total number of electors in the final list stands at 7.42 crore, while there were 7.89 crore electors as of June 24 this year. A total of 65 lakh voters were removed from the draft list. In addition, 3.66 lakh ineligible electors were removed from the final list while 21.53 lakh eligible electors were added via Form 6, taking the total to 7.42 crore voters.The 243-member Bihar assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results set to be announced on November 14.