JD(U) candidate Sunil Kumar came out on top in Bhore in a tight contest, beating CPI(M)(L)'s Dhananjay. It was a close battle between the two as Sunil Kumar clinched victory with 1,01,469 votes, 16,163 votes more than Dhananjay (85,306). Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj Party's Priti Kinar settled for a distant third, bagging 8,602 votes. (Bihar Election Results Live)
For the first time in the constituency, Preeti Kinnar contested as a third-gender candidate, representing Prashant Kishore’s party. Bhore voted in the first phase of Bihar elections.
Also Read | Barbs, bluster as rallies for Phase 1 of Bihar polls wind up
Who is Sunil Kumar?
Sunil Kumar is a former IPS officer, currently serving as Bihar’s Education Minister.
He represents the Bhore constituency in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna district for over six years.
In 2020, he retired as Director General-cum-Managing Director of the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation and soon after joined Janata Dal (United), according to several reports.
He completed his Master’s in History from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, in 1984.
{{/usCountry}}He completed his Master’s in History from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, in 1984.
{{/usCountry}}Kumar retired just 29 days before his official retirement. A 1987-batch IPS officer, he was SP of Patna district for over six years from 1997, according to a report by The Times of India.
Kumar comes from a family of politicians and bureaucrats. His father, Chandrika Ram, was a veteran Congress leader and a minister in the KB Sahay government.
Also Read | JD(U) releases first list of 57 candidates for Bihar assembly election
Who are Sunil Kumar's opponents?
Dhananjay Kumar is contesting from the CPI(ML) constituency.
Earlier, CPI(ML) had nominated Jitendra Paswan, who was arrested during the nomination process in an attempted murder case. Following this, the Grand Alliance replaced him with Dhananjay Kumar.
Dhananjay Kumar is a former JNU president from Gaya district, while Sunil Kumar hails from Vijaypur in the Bhore constituency.
Preeti Kinnar is contesting from the Jansuraj Party. She hails from Sitamarhi district but has been living and serving in Bhore, Gopalganj, for the past eight years.
Preeti Kinnar first gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, arranging marriages for over two dozen couples using her own money.
About the Bhore constituency
Local folklore traces the name to Bhurishrava, a warrior king from the Mahabharata. Bhore Assembly constituency is in Gopalganj district. Gopalganj is home to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
It has seen 16 Assembly elections since its formation. The Congress has won eight times, while Janata Dal, BUJP, and RJD have each won twice. The Janata Party and JD(U) have each won once, reflecting a constituency that often mirrors broader state-level trends.
In 2020, JD(U)’s Kumar narrowly defeated CPI(ML)(L)’s Jitendra Paswan by just 462 votes. LJP’s Pushpa Devi finished fourth, and NOTA came third.
The tight contest was influenced by the LJP splitting the anti-incumbency vote, though it fell short of unseating JD(U) across Bihar.