Crowd-pulling choppers, big rallies and promises — scenes from battleground Bihar

Both BJP-JD(U) and the RJD-led alliances have campaigned aggressively in the state that is going to third and last phase of the assembly polls Saturday.

By
Praveen Jain
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A Special Protection Group personnel stands between the party banners of BJP and JD(U) | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A Special Protection Group personnel stands in front of the party banners of BJP and JD(U) | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Bihar: The crucial Bihar assembly elections are under way, with the third and last phase to be conducted Saturday. The results will be announced on 10 November.

The battle has been tight between Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Backed by the BJP and the Congress, respectively, both the JD(U) and the RJD-led alliances have campaigned aggressively in the state.

If Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies drew people, Yadav has also been an equal crowd-puller.

ThePrint’s National Photo Editor Praveen Jain, who covered the election campaigns and polling for more than two weeks in the state, brings you some of his interesting captures.

As Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey's copper lands in Keoti assembly constituency, villagers look at the helicopter | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint a
Villagers catching a glimpse of the helicopter carrying Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey in Keoti assembly constituency | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Women stand in sync during election campaign as leaders come and go | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
The crowd at a rally venue | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
CM Nitish Kumar's helicopter lands in Nalanda, while security personnel guard near the bouandaries | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
CM Nitish Kumar’s helicopter lands in Nalanda as security personnel guard the barricades  Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
At a rally a kid looks at the camera with intense eyes | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A child at a rally in Keoti constituency | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Women of villages look at the sky that saw many helicopters flying in Bihar election | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A group of women and children looking at a helicopter | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Girls try to hide from the camera during the election campaigning | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Camera-shy girls at one of the rallies | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
CM Nitish Kumar after polling his vote in the Raj Bhawan compound | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
CM Nitish Kumar after casting his vote at the Raj Bhawan compound in Patna | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Surrounded by media RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav surrounded by mediapersons as he went out to vote | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
BJP in his manifesto in Bihar elections has promised of a free Covid vaccine for every resident Bihari | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
BJP, in its party manifesto, has promised free Covid-19 vaccine for people in Bihar | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
As children play on the voting day, old, young came out of their homes to vote. Bihar saw 53.54% voter turnout in first phase of assembly polls despite Covid | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
The old came out to vote, along with the young. Bihar saw 53.54 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of assembly polls | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
While residents of Sharbadha Fatuha village were busy voting in the second phase of Bihar elections, a family was carrying the dead body of their relative | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
A family is taking the body of a relative for cremation, at Sharbadha Fatuha village on the polling day on 3 November | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Two girls enjoying bicycle ride in their village in Punadih on the voting day. Nitish Kumar's government had given cycles to the girls who had passed class 9 so that they could easily travel to school | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
Two girls enjoying a bicycle ride in their village in Punadih on the voting day. The Nitish Kumar government gave cycles to all girls who passed Class 9 so they can reach schools easily | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
People in Bihar village stand without social distancing | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint
People stand without maintaining social distancing in a Bihar village while waiting to catch a glimpse of their leader | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint