Voting underway in Bihar bypolls; low turnout till 8am
August 21, 2014  09:08
Voting is underway in Bihar on Thursday for bypolls to 10 assembly seats. As per reports, there has been low turnout so far with Election Commission officials recording only 4.22% polling till 8 am. 

The bypolls have become crucial in the wake of the regrouped Janata Dal-United-RJD alliance, led by former state chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, taking on the BJP's Modi wave on the 10 assembly seats. 

Apart from helping politicians gauge whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's magic is still working in the state, the by-polls will also ascertain which way the wind is blowing in the state before next year's assembly polls.
 
These will also test whether the experiment of reunion of 'mandal forces' represented by Lalu Prasad's RJD and Nitish Kumar's JD-U in company of the Congress has been a success in stopping the BJP juggernaut. 

Considering the significance of the by-elections for their political survival, Lalu and Nitish have made several trips to the 10 constituencies. 

Though no big leaders from outside the state campaigned for NDA candidates, state BJP leaders with LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan and ally Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Samata Party criss-crossed the state to drum up support. 

The bypolls are being held in Hajipur, Chapra, Mohiuddinagar, Parbatta, Bhagalpur, Rajnagar(SC), Jale, Mohania(SC), Narkatiaganj and Banka. 
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