Sunday, October 16 2005 10:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Amid media prognosis of another hung assembly, politically volatile Bihar is set to witness a keen electoral contest, the second in less than a year, with polling in 57 of the 243 assembly constituencies on October 18.

Similar to the February 2005 assembly elections when the key United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) fought both National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and amongst themselves, the Centre's ruling alliance is going to the hustling a divided lot, while its challenger, the NDA, comprising Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have entered the electoral arena in near unison.

JD(U) and BJP nominees will slug it out at Belaganj which goes to poll on October 21 in the second phase.

The first phase is crucial for all, but more importantly for RJD, which had secured 23 of the 57 seats last time.

JD(U) had bagged 12, its ally BJP (four), LJP (nine), CPI-ML (four), Samajwadi Party and Congress (one each) and independents (three).

The polls would largely be a triangular contest among the NDA, RJD-led Secular Democratic Front comprising Congress, NCP of Sharad Pawar and CPI-M and LJP-CPI combine.

The CPI-ML which has carved a niche for itself through sustained peasant and labourer struggles and upstaged CPI as the pre-eminent left party in the state and others like Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) too will fight for political space.

While RJD has fielded its nominees in 49 constituencies, its allies Congress in (07) and CPI-M (one), NDA allies BJP and JD(U) are contesting in 24 and 33 seats respectively.