The proud voters of Bihar scripted a new electoral history with the highest-ever voter turnout of 66.91 per cent, registered during the voting held on November 6 and November 11 for the 243 seats of the Vidhan Sabha, covering 7.45 crore voters across the state. While Bihar beat its own record since 1951, the state also saw trend-setting initiatives, including the first-ever picture ID cards issued to booth-level officers, the participation of Jeevika Didis, and a much-hyped visit by 16 delegates from six countries to witness the poll in the state. The first phase, on November 6, saw a massive turnout…

As Bihar braces up to vote for its 18th Legislative Assembly, the political arena is abuzz with a new entrant into the dance of democracy – the Jan Suraaj Party. In its maiden attempt in a state with the third largest number of assembly constituencies (243), the Prashant Kishor-led party seems to have fielded a threat for the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which leads the Mahagathbandhan. In a state where election campaigning has traditionally revolved around caste politics and personality-driven voting, Prashant Kishor’s slogan “Badlaav Aap Hi…