Independent candidate defeats JD-U and RJD in Bihar’s Rupauli bypoll

Independent candidate Shankar Singh defeated the JD-U’s Kaladhar Mandal and RJD’s Bima Bharti in Bihar’s Rupauli bypoll

Independent candidate Shankar Singh, who quit the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-R) to contest Rupauli bypoll in Bihar defeated the Janata Dal-United (JD-U)’s Kaladhar Mandal by a margin of 8,211votes while pushing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)’s Bima Bharti to the third.

The by-poll in Rupauli was necessitated following the resignation of sitting JD-U MLA Bima Bharti to contest Lok Sabha elections on an RJD ticket. (Representational image)

Singh scored 67,779 votes followed by Mandal, who scored 59,568, while Bharti scored just 30,108 votes. Interestingly, 5,675 people cast their votes for NOTA.

Singh had won represented Rupauli assembly seat once from February 2005 to November 2005 on the ticket of LJP.

Singh, once known as a commander of the North Bihar Liberation Army (NBLA), had a parallel private army to counter Bima Bharti’s husband Awadhesh Mandal, a self-styled chief of Faizan gang.

Singh attributed his victory to the people whom he said ‘Bhagwan’ and assured the people of mitigating their suffering and pain.

The by-poll was necessitated following the resignation of sitting JD-U MLA Bima Bharti, who won the seat for five times but quit the party to contest Lok Sabha elections on an RJD ticket. After her humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha poll, the RJD once again fielded her from Rupauli assembly by poll.

The verdict has proved to be a replica of the recently concluded Purnea Parliamentary election. Independent candidate Pappu Yadav won the seat with 5, 67, 555 votes. JD-U’s Santosh Kumar obtained 5, 43, 709 votes while RJD’s Bima Bharti scored just 27, 120 votes. NOTA received 23,834 votes.

During the bypoll campaign, Singh had said, “If Pappu Yadavji can win Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate, why can’t I win in the assembly by poll.”

Political experts have attributed the victory of independent candidates to the ‘people’s disenchantment’ with political parties.

A political observer, Prof N K Srivasatava, said, “Though this by poll, the trend clearly indicates the mood of the people who have become disenchanted with political parties and hence cast their votes either for independent candidate or for NOTA.”

He said, “Like Purnea LS poll, in this by poll too, people cast their votes for NOTA indicating they are not satisfied with the candidates imposed by the political parties.”

Setback to JD-U leader Lesi Singh

The verdict is believed to be a setback to senior JD-U leader and ex-minister Lesi Singh. She had left no stone unturned for the win of party candidate Kaladhar Prasad Mandal and continued to camp in Rupauli for two weeks. Several big leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and even chief minister Nitish Kumar had campaigned for the JD-U candidate.

“It seemed to be quite easier for Lesi Singh as both husband and son of Bima Bharti were missing from the electioneering after their names figured in the businessman’s killing,” a party leader said admitting, “It is, in fact, a defeat of Lesi Singh.”

Pappu Yadav’s apathy

Though Pappu Yadav announced his support to RJD candidate Bima Bharti in the by poll, it came too late to help her win. “No, Pappu Yadav never supported RJD,” a local RJD leader Kamlesh Mandal said, adding, “He knew he couldn’t help and hence decided to keep off electioneering.”

Pappu Yadav, while talking to media, said the INDIA bloc should have worked with more co-ordination by putting leaders of Congress and the CPI-ML (liberation) in the campaign instead of RJD steering the campaign all alone. “I have always supported the extremely backward classes and had extended support to Bharti,” he said.