New political equations make it crucial for both NDA & UPA in Bihar

NEW DELHI: Five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar — Araria, Jhanjharpur, Khagariya, Supaul and Madhepura — will go to the polls in the third phase of the general elections on April 23.

The political equation in the region has completely changed since the last general elections in 2014. Then, NDA had won in Jhanjharpur (BJP) and Khagariya (LJP), while UPA won in Supaul (Congress), Madhepura and Araria (both RJD).

This time, both the alliances have got new partners and parties have sacrificed some seats for their partners. In NDA, JDU is contesting three seats while BJP and LJP are contesting one seat each. In UPA, RJD is contesting three seats while Congress and Mukesh Sahni’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) are contesting one seat each. BJP has given up sitting Jhanjharpur to JDU while RJD gave Khagariya to VIP.


An influential leader of Nishad community, Sahni, also known as ‘son of Mallah’ (boatman), himself is contesting from Khagariya. He is taking on sitting MP Mehboob Ali Kaiser of LJP. Khagariya has a sizeable Nishad votes and Sahni’s hope lies on getting these votes along with core voter base of RJD.

In Madhepura, it’s a triangular battle with sitting MP Pappu Yadav, who has quit RJD, contesting for his own Jan Adhikar Party. RJD has fielded Sharad Yadav and JDU Dinesh Chandra Yadav, making it a closely watched contest. Pappu’s wife and sitting Congress MP Ranjeeta Ranjan is contesting from Supaul where she is taking on Dileshwar Kamat of JDU whom she had defeated in 2014. One big difference: BJP, whose candidate got more than a lakh votes last time, is backing Kamat now.