E-Paper
PATNA
Thakur's electoral fortune largely hinges on the upper caste votes of Kayasthas, Brahmins, and Bhumihars which together account for around 55 per cent of the total votes of Patna constituency.
Amid strong possibility of a sharp polarisation of pro-RJD Muslim and Yadav votes against him, Union Small-Scale Industries Minister Dr CP Thakur, is pitted against his RJD rival Ramkripal Yadav in a straight contest for the prestigious Patna Lok Sabha constituency which has become synonymous with large-scale violence and rigging.
Thakur's electoral fortune largely hinges on the upper caste votes of Kayasthas, Brahmins, and Bhumihars which together account for around 55 per cent of the total votes of this constituency having both urban and rural areas.
Yadav, on the other hand, is heavily dependent on the votes of Muslims, Yadavs and Dalits who together constitute around seven lakh votes.
Desperately trying to make the contest triangular is Laloo's friend-turned-foe and Sampoorna Vikas Dal president Ranjan Prasad Yadav. Being a teacher, Ranjan Yadav is hopeful of getting support of intellectual Muslims and Yadavs.
Around 17 lakh voters would decide the electoral fortunes of 16 candidates in the fray.
Of the six assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency, Patna (east), Patna (central) and Patna (west) are represented by BJP heavyweights--Nand Kishore Yadav, SK Modi and Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha, state NDA convenor, BJP legislature party leader and party's chief whip in the state assembly respectively, while Bikram is held by another party leader Ramjanam Sharma.
Bihar Minister for State for Energy Shyam Razak and RJD leader Ramanand Yadav are the ruling party MLAs from Phulwarisharif and Danapur, the only two segments from where Ramkripal Yadav had led in the last Lok Sabha elections.
It is due to my efforts that 18 tubewells were installed in my constitutions, Rs 12.5 crore sanctioned for drinking water supply and another Rs 12.5 crore for augmenting drainage system in Patna municipal area, Thakur says claiming credit for inclusion of Patna under centrally sponsored Accelerated Rural Water Scheme for which Centre was providing Rs 50 crore every year.
He also takes credit for setting up of the proposed 100-bed hospital on the pattern of AIIMS Delhi, a trauma centre at Bikram, besides several railway projects, NIT status to the Bihar College of Engineering and the Ganga Action Plan for bringing the river close to Patna.
His traditional rival Ramkripal Yadav, however, charges Thakur with misleading the people by making false promises.
Thakur is a master in the art of befooling people, he says adding Bihar College of Engineering got the status of NIT because of the state government, AIIMS branch is proposed to be set up with the effort of Laloo Prasad Yadav and the credit for sinking tubewells for augmenting the drinking water supply in Patna should actually go to the state government which provided Rs eight crore for the purpose.
Thakur feels that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's hugely successful election meeting here on April 10 had further boosted the morale of party workers.
Vajpayee's visit, however, coincided with attack on the Gandhinagar election office of Ramkripal Yadav in which one RJD man was killed and four others were critically wounded leading to strong protests by the ruling party.
Yadav accused Thakur of having masterminded the killing as he was faced with certain defeat but the latter rubbishes the allegation. The stupendous response to Advani's yatra and PM's meeting seem to have unnerved the RJD which wants to defame BJP for electoral gains, Thakur says.
