Patna: Days after publicly declaring that he would not contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani has been announced as the Deputy Chief Ministerial face of the INDIA bloc.
The alliance, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, named Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate and Sahani as his deputy face on Thursday, October 23. The announcement was made in Patna by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, in the presence of Yadav, Sahani and other INDIA bloc leaders.
Who Is Mukesh Sahani?
(Photo Courtesy: PTI)
44-year-old Sahahni is the founder and president of the VIP and a prominent voice of Bihar’s Nishad community, which includes the Mallahs (fishermen), Kevats and other river-linked groups. Born in Darbhanga district, Sahani left home at the age of 18 to escape poverty and moved to Mumbai, where he began as a salesman before working his way into the Hindi film industry as a set designer. His company, Mukesh Cine World Private Limited, went on to handle major projects like Devdas (2002) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015).
His success in Bollywood brought him recognition back in Bihar, where he began engaging with community issues. In 2008, he organised a large-scale Chhath Puja event that marked his public entry into social work. By 2016, he had established the Nishad Vikas Sangh, aimed at empowering the extremely backward Nishad community, which comprises over 20 sub-castes traditionally dependent on river occupations. Two years later, he founded the VIP, presenting himself as the political voice of Bihar’s estimated 7 percent Mallah population.
Sahani's Shifting Politics
Sahani's political journey has been marked by strategic shifts. In 2015, he campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar but soon distanced himself, later aligning with the RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan for the 2019 general elections. His party contested three Lok Sabha seats but failed to win anyway.
According to a 2022 report by The Wire, the BJP promoted Sahani in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections to counter the growing influence of Sanjay Nishad and his Nishad Party. The report also stated that Sahani was provided a helicopter to campaign on reservation issues and that the BJP sponsored his Nishad Rath yatra. However, his influence waned after Nishad consolidated his dominance in UP's community, forcing Sahani to shift focus back to Bihar.
Ahead of the 2020 Bihar elections, Sahani exited the RJD alliance after seat sharing disagreements and joined the BJP-led NDA, The VIP was allotted 11 seats, winning four, though Sahani himself lost.
He was made Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries in Nitish Kumar's cabinet but later dismissed in 2022 after his relationship with the BJP deteriorated.
In subsequent years, Sahani ought to rebuild his political standing. His rift with the BJP deepened after he accused it of betraying the Nishad community and poaching his party's MLAs. Rejoining the RJD-led INDIA bloc before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he pledged to "drive the BJP out of Bihar," declaring in a recent address, "Ever since the BJP broke our party and bought our MLAs, we took a vow with the water of Mother Ganga that we will not rest until we break the BJP."
Today, Sahani's elevation as the INDIA bloc's Deputy Chief Ministerial face, marks a major comeback for the 'Son of Mallah'.
