The Bihar parliamentary elections will take place in seven phases spanning 43 days, beginning on April 19 and concluding on June 1, as announced by the Election Commission of India.
This declaration has injected fervour into the state's political landscape, especially because its 40 Lok Sabha seats will have a significant role to play in the outcome of the general elections.
In the initial two phases, districts marked as “maoist-affected” and those bordering the east with a substantial Muslim population will go to the polls. In the first phase, voters will elect their leaders in Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, and Jamui constituencies.
Lets take a closer look into the political fight in these four constituencies:
Jamui Lok Sabha constituency
After the resolution of seat sharing within the NDA alliance, Chirag Paswan, the National President of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), declared Arun Bharati as the electoral symbol bearer for the Jamui Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday. The seat distribution among the NDA allies has been announced, with 35 out of 40 candidates declared so far. However, there has been no official announcement regarding seat sharing within the INDIA bloc. Political pundits anticipate an interesting and tough contest from the India Bloc.
From the Jamui Lok Sabha seat, JD(U) leader Bhudeo Choudhary became the MP in 2009. In 2014, LJP’s Chirag Kumar Paswan defeated RJD rival Sudhansu Shekhar Bhaskar by a margin of more than 85,000 votes. In the 2019 elections, Chirag Paswan from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) secured victory once again.
Jamui, being a reserved constituency, has a significant Rajput and Khushwaha population, which holds sway in determining the electoral outcome. The constituency also comprises a substantial number of Dalit and Mahadalit voters, along with a notable presence of the Das community.
Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency
The RJD has fielded its candidates for this seat without a formal seat-sharing discussion with its allies, drawing criticism from the Congress.
RJD has made Abhay Kushwaha, who came from JD(U), a candidate from Aurangabad, but Congress leaders are openly opposing Kushwaha’s candidature as one of its prominent leaders, Nikhil Kumar has been preparing to content the elections from this seat for several months. RJD’s quite move is likely to brew tension within the Mahagathbandhan.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate Sushil Singh has already submitted his nomination on Monday.
In the last four Lok Sabha elections, the seat witnessed shifts in political representation. BJP’s Ramji Manjhi emerged victorious in 1999, but in 2004, RJD’s Rajesh Kumar Manjhi assumed power. From 2009 to 2014, the seat was held by BJP’s Hari Manjhi. However, in 2019, JD(U)’s Vijay Kumar secured victory from this constituency.
Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency is known for its Naxal influence and is spread across parts of Aurangabad and Gaya districts. The constituency boasts a substantial Rajput and Muslim population, collectively constituting at least 20 percent of the populace.
Gaya Lok Sabha Constituency
Former Chief Minister of Bihar and NDA candidate from Gaya Lok Sabha seat, Jitan Ram Manjhi, has filed his nomination from the Gaya Lok Sabha seat, while former minister and current MLA Kumar Sarvjeet from Bodh Gaya has filed his nomination from the Mahagathbandhan.
Nawada Lok Sabha Constituency
In a surprising move, RJD supremo Lalu Yadav shocked the voters of Nawada Lok Sabha constituency by giving the ticket to Shravan Kushwaha. This decision snubbed Rajballabh Yadav, his closest ally. Despite being a local candidate, Yadav was not trusted. Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to tackle Lalu’s move by fielding Vivek Thakur, which many political pundits believe has a strong chance of winning.
