Big star cast in two Bihar phases

Five Union Ministers trying their luck.

May 08, 2019 09:21 pm | Updated 09:21 pm IST - Patna

Crucial fight:  Misa Bharti campaigning with her mother, Rabri Devi, and photo of father Lalu Prasad.

Crucial fight: Misa Bharti campaigning with her mother, Rabri Devi, and photo of father Lalu Prasad.

Five Union Ministers from the BJP are in the fray in Bihar in the final two phases of the Lok Sabha election on May 12 and 19. One of them is contesting against actor Shatrughan Sinha and another against Misa Bharti, daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.

The BJP is contesting nine of the 16 seats going to the polls in the two phases in the State.

In East Champaran, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh is pitted against mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) candidate Aakash Singh (Rashtriya Lok Samata Party), son of the chairman of the Congress’s campaign committee of the State unit, Akhilesh Singh.

“The RLSP has not put up a strong candidate, and there is also not enough coordination among the mahagathbandhan members in this constituency,” says Awadhesh Singh of Motihari. “Internal sabotage is likely to do more damage to the grand alliance nominee than what the Opposition voters would.”

East Champaran goes to the polls on May 12.

Union Minister of State for Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav is contesting from Patliputra against Ms. Bharti. Mr. Yadav, who defeated Ms. Bharti in 2014, is again locked in a fierce tussle for the dominant Yadav community’s votes. He was once an aide to the RJD leader and enjoys good “social connections” with voters. Ms. Bharti has been campaigning with photos of her father and with mother Rabri Devi by her side. Patliputra will vote on May 19.

In Ara, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy R.K. Singh is contesting against the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) nominee Raju Yadav. Ara is the lone seat that the RJD gave up for the Left party as part of the grand alliance’s seat-sharing pact. In turn, the CPI(ML) withdrew their candidate from Patliputra.

“R.K. Singh seems to be comfortable as he has a clean image,” says Ajay Tiwari, a resident of Ara town. “He has done some development work in the constituency, and he is also popular among voters,” he adds. Ara votes on May 19.

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwani Choubey is locked in a direct contest against mahagathbandhan candidate Jagdanand Singh, a senior leader of the RJD in Buxar. Mr. Choubey belongs to Bhagalpur and is a five-time BJP MLA before being moved to Buxar in the 2014 election.

“In the Modi wave of 2014 several such leaders had romped home but this time Mr. Choubey is struggling,” Ashok Kumar Choubey, a resident, says. “He has been banking on the issues of nationalism, Hindutva and PM Modi ... He may lose this time.” Buxar will vote on May 19.

In Patna Sahib, Minister for Law and Justice, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad seems to hold an edge against Mr. Sinha, the Congress candidate. A two-time BJP MP, Mr. Sinha recently joined the Congress and will be defending his seat. Both leaders belong to the upper caste Kayastha community and have refrained from attacking each other. Polls will be held on May 19.

The two leaders are also perceived as being largely disconnected with voters in the constituency.

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