"My blessings are with him": RJD leader Rohini Acharya on JJD chief Tej Pratap Yadav contesting from Mahua

Patna (Bihar) [India], November 6 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Rohini Acharya extended her blessings to her brother and former party leader Tej Pratap Yadav, who is contesting from the Mahua assembly constituency.
Tej Pratap, who was expelled from RJD earlier this year, formed his own party ahead of the elections and is contesting under the banner of Janshakti Janata Dal.
"My blessings are with him. Do you not bless your siblings?," Rohini Acharya told reporters after casting her vote in Patna.
Acharya further added that unemployment will be eradicated in Bihar, and the people of villages, who are the pillars of the state, will not have to leave after eight days of the Mahagathbandhan government.
"Unemployment is going to be eradicated in Bihar this time. People in villages who are running from pillar to post for jobs need not go outside after 8 days. They will get jobs in Bihar itself," she added.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Misa Bharti expressed confidence in the Mahagathbandhan's victory in the Bihar elections on Thursday, as polling for Phase 1 began.
Bharti said that the youth want to change the regime in the state, accusing the National Democratic Alliance government of deceiving people for the past 20 years.
"No matter what the numbers are, our (Mahagathbandhan) government will definitely be formed because the youth want it (sankhya kuch bhi ho, sarkaar hamaari zarur banegi kyonki yuva chahte hai. 20 varshon se double engine ki sarkaar ne thagne ka kaam kiya). For 20 years, the double-engine government has been engaged in deceiving people," Misa Bharti told reporters.
The RJD MP further slammed Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, alleging that he had said to lock up people and stop them from casting their vote. She further termed it as a true "jungleraj" in the state. She stressed that the youth of Bihar have decided to support Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Minister of Bihar.
"A cabinet minister of the NDA is saying lock up the poor and don't allow them to vote. This is Jungle Raj. The way murders are happening in Mokama, this is Jungle Raj. The youth and the people of Bihar have decided that this time, Tejashwi Yadav will become the Chief Minister. Mahagathbandhan government is going to be formed this time," Misa Bharti added.
Meanwhile, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former CM Rabri Devi, Mahagathbandhan's CM face Tejashwi Yadav, his wife, Rajshree Yadav and other leaders, including Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya, also cast their vote in Patna.
Voting for the first phase of the 2025 assembly elections in Bihar began today at 7:00 am across 121 constituencies in 18 districts of the state, covering approximately 3.75 crore electors and 243 seats.
Polling will conclude at 6 pm, and due to security considerations, polling time has been curtailed to 5 pm in some constituencies.
The first phase will decide the fate of several senior leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Mangal Pandey and JD(U)'s Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Choudhary.
Strongman Anant Singh and Tej Pratap Yadav are also competing in the first phase.
According to the Election Commission, there are 10.72 lakh 'new electors', and 7.78 lakh voters are in the age group of 18-19 years. The total population of these constituencies, as stated by the Election Commission, is 6.60 crore.
Presiding officers have handed over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to polling agents ahead of the polling day.
Tejashwi Yadav, who is Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate, is in the fray from Raghopur. He has held the seat since 2015 and faces a tough challenge from BJP's Satish Kumar Yadav, who lost in the 2020 assembly elections.
Tejashwi Yadav's brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, who floated a new party, Janshakti Janta Dal, after his exit from RJD, has fielded Prem Kumar for the seat.Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, has fielded Chanchal Singh, and this could alter the dynamics in Raghopur.
Tej Pratap Yadav is in the fray from Mahua constituency.
The Tarapur seat in the Munger district is witnessing a contest between Deputy Chief Minister and BJP's Samrat Choudhary, RJD's Arun Kumar and Jan Suraaj's Santosh Kumar Singh.
The seat was won by the JD(U) candidates in the 2010 and 2015 polls.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha is contesting from the Lakhisarai seat. He is facing Congress' Amaresh Kumar and Jan Suraaj's Suraj Kumar.
The Mokama constituency has been in the headlines after the murder of Dularchand Yadav. Known for clashes between strongmen, or 'bahubalis', Mokama will witness a contest between JD(U) candidate Anant Kumar Singh, who has been arrested in the murder case, and Veena Devi, wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.
In Darbhanga, the BJP has fielded folk singer Maithili Thakur, and she is contesting against 63-year-old RJD candidate Binod Mishra. Thakur, 25, is the youngest candidate and would become the youngest MLA if elected.
There are a total of 122 women candidates in the fray in the first phase of polls.
Jan Suraj Party fielded 119 candidates in this phase. Within NDA, JD(U) is contesting 57 seats, followed by BJP on 48 and LJP (Ram Vilas) on 14.
Among the Mahagathbandhan constituents, RJD is contesting 73 seats in the first phase, followed by 24 from Congress and 14 from CPI(ML). There will be a friendly fight on a few seats among Mahagathbandhan constituents.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, polling took place in three phases. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 125 seats, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan (MGB) won 110.
Among the major parties, the Janata Dal (United) bagged 43 seats and the Congress 19. The JD(U) had contested 115 constituencies and the BJP 110, whereas the RJD contested 144 seats and the Congress 70. (ANI)