Friday, November 18 2005 10:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: As the gruelling month-and-a-half-long campaign for Bihar assembly elections, second this year, yesterday (Nov 17, 2005) came to an end, the three major contenders for power exuded confidence about attaining a majority in the 243-member House.

Undeterred by predictions of yet another hung assembly, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Secular Democratic Front (SDF), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as also Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) claimed a groundswell of support for their respective alliances.

"An RJD-led secular Government, which will be committed to all-round development of Bihar, is all set to be formed. We are going to get another chance and we will give an efficient and forward-looking Government," asserted RJD strongman Lalu Prasad, who is seeking to reclaim the state for his wife Rabri Devi, apparently the understood choice for Chief Ministership if the SDF, also comprising Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), comes to power.

While claiming that RJD's Muslim-Yadav votes were intact and that there was no dent in its support among extremely backward classes, Lalu said, "The weaker sections were unhappy that a pro-poor RJD Government could not be installed after the February elections. Since I worked for their empowerment, they have whole-heartedly supported us this time."

His bete noire LJP President Ram Vilas Paswan, however, predicted a 'doom' for the RJD, saying the 75 seats that it had won last time would shrink by half.

"The NDA is going to become a victim of the feel good factor once again and a Muslim Chief Minister of the LJP will be installed," he claimed.