Sitting MPs and party heavyweights will seek a referendum on their performance as eight seats in Bihar vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election on June 1.
Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Karakat, Buxar, Ara, Jehanabad and Sasaram (reserved) will go to the polls for which the BJP has fielded five candidates, the Janta Dal (United) [JD(U)] two and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) one. The Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and the CPI-ML are contesting from three seats each, while the Congress from two.
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In Nalanda, NDA candidate and three-time sitting MP Kaushalendra Kumar of the JD-U is contesting against the CPI-ML’s Sandeep Saurav. Mr. Kaushalendra is a close associate of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and has been winning the seat since 2009. In 2019, he defeated Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) candidate Ashok Kumar Azad by more than 2 lakh votes. CPI-ML has fielded its young MLA from Paliganj, hoping to give the JD(U) a tough fight.
In Patna Sahib, BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is seeking a second term. He is contesting against Congress candidate Anshul Abhijit, the son of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. However, Mr. Abhijit is not a familiar face and on Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting to galvanise support for the candidate. Mr. Prasad, who comes from the upper caste Kayastha community, the dominant voter base in the constituency, is popular among the voters. In 2019, he defeated Congress candidate and Bollywood star Shatrughan Sinha by more than 2.5 lakh votes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a road show in Patna, on May 12, seeking votes for Mr. Prasad.
From Patliputra, sitting BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav is eyeing a hat-trick. He is pitted against the RJD’s Misa Bharti, the elder daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Ms. Bharti, who lost the seat to Mr. Yadav in 2014 and 2019, has campaigned hard, hoping to wrest the seat from the BJP candidate who is known for his easy accessibility to the voters. Mr. Lalu’s family has lost the seat thrice, including in the 2009 election when the RJD chief lost by less than 24,000 votes to the JD(U)‘s Ranjan Prasad Yadav.
From Ara, BJP candidate and Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh is seeking a third time against the CPI-ML’s Sudama Prasad. In 2019, Mr. Singh defeated CPI-ML candidate Raju Yadav by 1.47 lakh votes. The Minister is popular, especially among the upper caste Rajput voters. Bhojpur in Ara was notorious for its caste-related violence in which hundreds have lost their lives. While the CPI-ML has the support among the EBC and OBC voters, Mr. Singh is banking on the upper caste votes and the popularity of Mr. Modi.
In adjoining Buxar, the BJP has replaced sitting MP Ashwini Kumar Choubey, known for his hardline Hindutva, with former Baikunthpur MLA Mithilesh Tiwari. Mr. Tiwari is pitted against RJD leader Sudhakar Singh, a former Agriculture Minister in Bihar who had resigned from the Cabinet alleging corruption. Two Independent candidates, Dadan Singh Yadav and former bureaucrat Anand Mishra are expected to cut into the vote shares of Mr. Tiwari and Mr. Sudhakar.
In Sasaram, the BJP has changed its sitting MP Chhedi Paswan by fielding Shivesh Ram. Sasaram is the only reserved (SC) constituency going to the polls in the last phase in Bihar. Mr. Ram is pitted against Congress candidate Manoj Kumar. Outgoing MP Mr. Paswan, a senior leader, had been a member of the Bihar Assembly twice. He was once close to the Chief Minister but later fell out of favour and joined the BJP. In 2014 and 2019, Mr. Paswan defeated Congress candidate and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. In 2019, Mr. Manoj had contested on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket and had come third.
In Karakat, popular Bhojpuri film star Pawan Singh has thrown his hat in the ring as an Independent candidate. Mr. Pawan had hoped to contest the Lok Sabha election from Ara but the BJP fielded him from Asansol in West Bengal. Citing ‘personal reasons’, Mr. Pawan withdrew from the contest and filed his nomination from Karakat instead to fulfil his ‘mother’s wishes’. Ahead of Mr. Modi’s visit to the constituency on May 25, to campaign for NDA candidate Upendra Kushwaha (RLM), the BJP expelled Mr. Pawan from the party on May 22 for ‘anti-party activities’. Mr. Kushwaha is pitted against CPI-ML candidate Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha. Mr. Pawan has made the Karakat poll a triangular contest having organised a spirited campaign by roping in Bhojpuri film actors.
In Jehanabad, the NDA has reposed its faith in sitting MP Chandehswar Prasad Chandravanshi (JD-U) against the RJD’s Surendra Prasad Yadav and the BSP’s Arun Kumar. Jehanabad was infamous for its caste violence and Naxal activities, and had been a stronghold of the Left before the RJD won it in 1998. Since then, the RJD or the JD(U) has been winning the seat. This time, Mr. Arun could dent the upper caste vote bank of Mr. Chandravanshi. Mr. Surendra, who lost to the JD(U) candidate in 2019 by just 1,751 votes, has been canvassing hard for support to bridge the slim gap.
