Lucknow, Nov. 11 -- A day before the second phase of polling in the Bihar assembly election, Uttar Pradesh panchayati raj minister and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar - an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance - on Monday set off a political storm by claiming that the high turnout of voters witnessed in the first phase might lead to formation of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Grand Alliance government there. Rajbhar said his observation is based on the polling data of the past assembly elections in Bihar. "In the mid-1990s when the voter turnout increased, the RJD formed the government. In the 2025 assembly election too, the vote percentage has increased and it will be no surprise for me if the Grand Alliance forms government," he said. A voter turnout of 65.08% was recorded in the first phase of polling held on November 6 across 121 out of 243 assembly seats in Bihar. In comparison, the Bihar 2020 assembly polls saw a turnout of 57.29%, while the 2024 Lok Sabha elections recorded 56.28%. The second and final phase of polling is scheduled for November 11, with results to be declared on November 14. A prominent backward leader in UP, Rajbhar has been active in Bihar for over two years, organising public meetings and workers' conferences across districts. Over the last year, the SBSP conducted 42 rallies in Bihar and constituted units in 32 districts. "The SBSP has mobilised Dalits and extremely backward communities (EBCs) in several assembly segments," Rajbhar said. Before the assembly election, he had urged the BJP leadership to allot five seats to the SBSP but his demand was declined. "We will show our strength in the upcoming assembly elections. If our front hurts the prospects of the NDA, it won't be my fault," he had said. The SBSP has fielded candidates on 64 assembly seats in Bihar. Rajbhar campaigned for the SBSP candidates on over a dozen seats. The SBSP is likely to cut into the votes of the NDA candidates, he said and added the Jan Suraaj Party led by Prashant Kishor will also make a dent in the NDA and Grand Alliance votes in Bihar. In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, the SBSP was part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front (GDSF) along with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Samajwadi Janata Dal (SJD) and Janvadi Party Socialist (JPS). The alliance won six seats -- five by AIMIM and one by the BSP. Reacting to Rajbhar's statement, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi said, "Rajbhar's observation is politically accurate and grounded in electoral reality. A higher polling percentage is a clear sign of public discontent against the incumbent government. The people step out in large numbers only when they want to bring change." "The situation in Bihar perfectly reflects this trend. "rampant corruption, rising unemployment, and a complete failure of law and order have created deep frustration among the people. The public mood is unmistakably against the current regime. The winds of change are blowing across Bihar, and the massive voter turnout shows that people are ready to give Grand Alliance and RJD another chance to restore governance and justice," he said. Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindivi said, "SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar observation is correct regarding the outcome of the Bihar assembly election. The people in Bihar are voting for change. The NDA government in Bihar has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people. The NDA government claimed that it will work for the development of Bihar whereas the ground reality is different. A large number of people have migrated from Bihar in search of livelihood. About 50% of the Bihar population comprises the youth who are facing the pain of migration. They lined up before the polling booths in strength to vote for change." On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, "The voter turnout increased in Bihar due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India. The large turnout of the voters shows enthusiasm among the voters and their support to the policies of the NDA government. The voting pattern is positive and it will lead to the formation of the NDA government again in Bihar."...