Bettiah, Oct. 28: The Ayodhya title suit verdict has failed to sway Muslim voters in Bihar and after the completion of the third phase of polling in the state today, the myth of a Muslim vote bank appears to have been reaffirmed.

The pattern of voting by the electorate from this minority community has shown that they had split three ways between the RJD-LJP, JD(U)-BJP and the Congress. Surprisingly, reports from some places that went to the polls today had it that they even voted for BJP candidates.

Since polling in Bihar took place in the backdrop of the court ruling on Ayodhya, it was widely believed that the elections would be a referendum on the verdict. Many felt that the ruling would influence the pattern of voting by the 16 per cent Muslim population in the state.

On the ground, however, it did not appear to have cast any significant impact on the Muslim voters. Travelling from Bettiah to Patna as the third phase of polling was in progress one witnessed that Muslims were no longer committed to any particular political party or combination.

West Champaran, the north-western tip of Bihar, has a history of communal passions overtaking the Muslims on polling day leading to their one way choice. Today, however, it was different with Muslims admitting that they were not voting for one particular candidate.

“Muslim votes are getting split between Congress, RJD and one Independent candidate,” declared Mustaq Ansari, coming out of a polling booth in Narkatiaganj. Ansari said that unlike the past, voters from his community had refused to get swayed by emotional issues.

Shahbaaz Ali, a youth in Sonepur, where Rabri Devi is contesting, sprang a surprise when he claimed he had pressed the lotus button. “Kamal ko nahi, Nitish Kumar ko vote diya hai (I have voted for Nitish Kumar and not the lotus),” he remarked. Why? “For development and peace.”

Shahbaaz shrugged off the Ayodhya verdict and said it was a non-issue for him. “I was a child when the Babri demolition took place. It does not affect me,” he declared and stressed that Muslims felt safe and secure under the Nitish government.

The trend comes as a shot in the arm for the Nitish-led JD(U)-BJP combine and spells trouble for Lalu Prasad and his partner Ram Vilas Paswan and also the Congress trying to make a mark in the state.

The Lalu Prasad-led RJD-LJP combine had hoped that the Ayodhya verdict would turn the Muslim voters towards them. The RJD-LJP had even roped in some Muslim clerics to give a call to their community to vote against the JD(U)-BJP and also the Congress, blaming both for the Ayodhya verdict.

Lalu Prasad had also, in his campaign speeches, alleged that the BJP and the Congress were hand-in-glove to galvanise his MY (Muslim-Yadav) vote bank. While it may have influenced voters to some extent during the Muslim-dominated first phase of polling, it fizzled out in the second and third rounds.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul too raised the issue, although indirectly, by slamming Nitish for his alliance with the “communal” BJP but it did not seem to have impacted the Muslim voters. “We are very happy with the Nitish Kumar government. He has not allowed the BJP to dominate,” said Niyaz Alam of Motihari.