Though the two outfits have a history of internal clashes, in which more than 150 of their cadre have died, they are unanimous that no political party would be allowed to campaign in their areas. For the first time, they have put up posters in Patna carrying the boycott call, unnerving the state administration. The Leader of the Opposition, Sushil Mody, said on his return from south Bihar: ``The MCC and Party Unity have hung their banners and posters on trees and none can dare to pull them down, so acute is the reign of terror spread by these two organisations in south andcentral Bihar.''

A senior police official was candid: ``The MCC and Party Unity have a long history of encounters with the police. They have also ambushed police patrol parties. This has completely demoralised our forces...Of course, the Chief Election Commissioner would be deploying paramilitary forces on the day of polling but the people are more scared of the Naxalite retaliation after the polls.'' The police point out that these groups are well-entrenched in their operational areas of Palamau, Gaya, Garwah, Chatra, Aurangabad and Hazaribagh and can create a severe law and order problem if they wish. ``It would be an extremely difficult task to keep them in check,'' said an official.

Stray violence has already been reported. Recently, the CPI(ML) candidate in Jehanabad was attacked while campaigning in Arwal. RJD candidate Nagmani too was humiliated. Jehanabad has witnessed a chain of bloody massacres in the past five years and at least 300 persons have lost their lives. The attack on the CPI(ML)candidate has given rise to tension with CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattarchrya saying ``we will not allow such attacks''. The district has of late become a hunting ground of the MCC as well Party Unity. The CPI(ML) liberation has also been a target.

Bihar has the highest number of super-sensitive and sensitive booths and a majority of these are in central and north Bihar. While south Bihar has been witnessing agrarian violence, in north Bihar it is organised criminal violence that prevails. And candidates with criminal backgrounds are to be blamed. According to a senior police officer, at least 20 candidates have a criminal history. Each commands the allegiance of a gang armed with lethal weapons.

RJD chief Laloo Prasad has fielded the maximum number of such tainted candidates. The infamous Kali Pandey, whose permanent address used to be Beur Jail, is in the fray in Gopalganj. He had won the seat in 1984 as an independent. At that time he was accused of killing his political guru, Ram NaginaRai. The film, Pratighat, was based on his reign. Over the years he has got somewhat defanged but still commands the respect of the underworld.

RJD has also fielded the notorious Mohammed Sahabuddin in Siwan, accused of killing Naxalite leader Chandra Shekhar in 1997. Veteran CPI(ML) leader Taqui Rahim has filed an affidavit before the Patna High Court alleging that Sahabuddin was involved in 25 cases, including murders. He has also been charged with firing at the SP of Siwan in the 1995 elections.

Wife of slain RJD leader Brij Bihari, Rama Devi is contesting in Sitamarhi. In the absence of her husband, she commands the muscle power raised by Bihari who had international links. The JD(U) is not lagging behind in fielding criminal candidates. Its nominee in Maharajganj, Prabhunath Singh, is one of them who is known to control a strong army of musclemen. The party candidate in Sheohar, Anand Mohan Singh, too owes his rise in politics to his criminal antecedents. He has a long history of criminal activitiesand has a number of cases against him. His emergence has been backed by the Rajputs in the state. Though he has denied the charge, he has been an accused in the killing of the District Magistrate of Gopalganj.

Besides these organised groups, police sources say there are nearly 2000 groups of criminals, with 10 to 20 members each, in the state. During elections they are much in demand. They are well-equipped, and since they are regularly involved in criminal activities -- robbery to murder -- they accomplish the job of booth-capturing quite well.