Patna (Bihar) [India], October 7 (ANI): As Bihar prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor emphasised that the polls are not about individual leaders but the future of the state's youth.

'Voting will not be done for Lalu-Prashant Kishor. Voting will be done by people for their children, for their education and employment, for a change in Bihar. It will be for the beginning that we dream of - that in the coming 10 years, Bihar will be among the 10 leading states of the country,' he said.

The Election Commission announced the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections on Monday. The 243 Assembly seats will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting of votes to be held on November 14.

Bihar politics has seen allies shifting sides, with JD-U leader Nitish Kumar also having made famous somersaults in his over two decades as Chief Minister.

Currently, the NDA holds 131 seats (BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and 2 Independents), while the Mahagathbandhan controls 111 seats (RJD 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, CPI 2).

The Assembly polls are expected to witness a keen contest with the NDA alliance consisting of the BJP, Janata Dal (United), Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustan Awami Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Shakti Party (RLSP) up against the INDIA bloc of RJD, Congress, CPI (ML), CPI, CPM and Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).

The two alliances will also have to compete with a new player, Prashant Kishor and his Jan Suraaj Party, which is expected to eat into the vote share of major parties. To get a closer picture of what the electorate could throw up, here is a look at the data from the last two assembly polls.

In the 2020 Assembly elections, the RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats, while the BJP was a close second with 74 seats. Both parties have a strong and committed voter base. With the entry of a new player in Jan Suraaj, this election promises to be a close contest, with the smaller parties expected to play a crucial role in the formation of the next government. (ANI)