Monday, February 21 2005 12:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna/Ranchi: The curtain rings down on the protracted high-voltage campaigning for Assembly polls in Bihar and Jharkhand this evening (Feb 21, 2005) with the settling down of the heat and dust for the third and final phase.

An estimated 2 crore 65 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the last phase of polling in the two States scheduled for February 23.

Nearly two crore electorate is expected to cast votes for the 93 seats in Bihar to choose their representatives from 1,329 candidates including Chief Minister Rabri Devi, contesting from Ragopur, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Ram Jatan Sinha from Patna (central), leader of the Opposition Upendra Kushwaha from Jandaha, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) State convenor Nand Kishore Yadav in Patna (east) and State Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Akil Haider in Patna and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vijay Shankar Dubey.

In Jharkhand, the centre of interest in the final phase, which decides the outcome in 28 of the total of 81 seats, is on Santhal Parganas district, where it will be an indirect showdown between Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren and his estranged party colleague Stephen Marandi.

Of the 28 seats up for grab in the last phase, Santhal Parganas alone accounts for 18 and pitches Marandi, contesting as an independent, against Soren's son Hemant in Dumka seat. Durga Soren, another son of the JMM President, is also in fray in Jama constituency.

About 64 lakh voters are eligible to vote in the final phase in Jharkhand, which will have 532 aspirants.

With ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand facing tough electoral battles, exit polls predicted hung assemblies in both the States.

Security has been beefed up to ensure peaceful balloting for the 93 constituencies in Bihar and 28 in Jharkhand, which is witnessing its maiden Assembly polls after its birth in 2000.

As the no-holds-barred electioneering reached its crescendo, a galaxy of political stars, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, criss-crossed constituencies to garner votes for their party candidates.

RJD supremo Laloo Prasad and his Chief Minister wife Rabri Devi made whistle stop tours of constituencies to woo voters in the battle said to be decisive for the future of Bihar.

In an apparent reflection of her party's uneasy relations with RJD, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, addressing a string of election meetings, voiced concern over the law and order situation in Bihar.