As the Lok Sabha election in Bihar enters its fifth phase, stakes are high for both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the five constituencies — Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Saran, Madhubani and Hajipur — that go to polls on May 6.
Of its 40 seats, 19 have already polled.
All eyes are on the battle in Saran, 70km north-west of Patna, as veteran RJD leader (and father-in-law of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav) Chandrika Rai will contest former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Read: Fate of 51 seats across 7 states on line in fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls
Saran has been represented thrice by Lalu Prasad but in 2014, Rudy defeated the RJD chief’s wife Rabri Devi.
Another keen battle to watch out for is in Hajipur, where Pashupati Paras, brother of Lok Janshakti Party chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan will fight Shiv Chandra Ram of the RJD. Ram Vilas Paswan has represented this constituency since 1977 (barring 1984, 1991, and 2009).
In Madhubani, the BJP has fielded Ashok Yadav, son of sitting MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav. The Grand Alliance candidate is Badri Kumar Purbey, who recently left the RJD to join the Vikassheel Insan Party. Former Congress union minister Shakeel Ahmed, who was denied the seat as part of the Alliance’s seat-sharing agreement, is contesting as an Independent with the support of the CPI — the seat was once considered a bastion of the left party.
{{/usCountry}}In Madhubani, the BJP has fielded Ashok Yadav, son of sitting MP Hukumdev Narayan Yadav. The Grand Alliance candidate is Badri Kumar Purbey, who recently left the RJD to join the Vikassheel Insan Party. Former Congress union minister Shakeel Ahmed, who was denied the seat as part of the Alliance’s seat-sharing agreement, is contesting as an Independent with the support of the CPI — the seat was once considered a bastion of the left party.
{{/usCountry}}The grand alliance comprises RJD, Congress, VIP, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, the Communist Party of India, and Hindustani Awam Morcha.
Ajay Nishad of the BJP and Raj Bhushan Chowdhary from VIP are in the fray in Muzaffarpur — the constituency is dominated by Nishads and upper caste Bhumihars.
Poll observers say the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (which comprises Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party) had managed to perform well in 2014 largely because of the “Modi wave”. In Sitamarhi, JD (U) is fielding Sunil Kumar Pintu, a former BJP minister.
Political scientist, D M Diwakar of AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies said that NDA is facing heavy anti-incumbency in these constituencies. “It won’t be easy to repeat the same performance again,” said Diwakar.