Biden, Sanders eye showdown in six states on Super Tuesday

The face-off between former US Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders begins on Tuesday for the Democratic candidate who would take on President Trump in the 2020 US elections.

The one-on-one showdown will be a test of abilities of the candidates to win in the crucial general election battleground state of Michigan where 125 delegates are on offer.

Watch: All you need to know about 'Super Tuesday', US Presidential Elections 2020

The state, along with Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington, all vote on the second Super Tuesday of the primary.

Biden is expected to dominate in Mississippi, where African-American voters make up the majority of the Democratic electorate, and is looking to perform well in Missouri. 

While Sanders is aiming to keep the delegate race close, though, with wins out West.

Watch: US Presidential Elections 2020: Joe Biden celebrates a 'Super Tuesday' with big wins

If Biden wins, the race is scheduled to shift to a set of states that look even more favourable for him next Tuesday with Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio putting him in position to lock in a lead that would be extremely difficult for Sanders to overcome. 

Whereas, if Sanders wins, it would slow Biden's momentum and reset the race's narrative, suggesting Democrats are in for another drawn-out slugfest where every delegate matters.

Following the disappointing results on previous Super Tuesday, which saw Biden prevail in 10 of the 14 states holding primary elections, Sanders gave the presidential campaign a “reset” before the next one.

The US Senator repurposed his insurgent pitch for the White House on several fronts. These include a renewed push for dominance in the midwest before a crucial primary in Michigan on Tuesday. 

He also discarded his aversion to negative political campaigning and sharpening his attacks on Biden, running TV attack adds over the former vice-president’s record of supporting social security cuts and free trade agreements, which could be particularly damaging in the midwestern states.

On Friday, he contrasted their records on everything from trade policy to gay rights and abortion rights, emphasizing those differences enough to overshadow an underlying point that they would make Biden vulnerable to attacks from President Donald Trump.