PATNA, India — India is holding a key local election in the eastern state of Bihar on Thursday to choose a new government — a vote seen as a crucial test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s popularity and his alliance’s hold over one of the country’s politically influential states.

Millions of people lined up outside polling stations across Bihar in the two-phased vote for its 243-seat legislature. The election comes amid widespread public concern over unemployment, law and order, and alleged irregularities in revision of electoral rolls.

The results, expected Nov. 14, will gauge whether Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, or NDA, can sustain its dominance or face growing discontent over economic and governance issues.

Why Bihar matters for Modi

Bihar, long s

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