This special report covers the escalating political battle in Bihar ahead of the first phase of elections. The focus is on the heated campaign trail featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the NDA, versus the Mahagathbandhan alliance which has named Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial face. The Prime Minister spearheaded the attack by calling the opposition ‘Lathbandhan’, a dig at the ‘Jungle Raj’ charges against the RJD. Key issues dominating the discourse include the NDA’s ambiguous stance on Nitish Kumar’s chief ministership, a point Tejashwi Yadav has challenged, and the strategic consolidation of the EBC vote bank by all parties. The Mahagathbandhan is preparing to release its joint manifesto, while the NDA continues to remind voters of the previous RJD regime’s alleged lawlessness.