BJP hopes Narendra Modi-Nitish Kumar magic will win Araria seat back

PATNA/ARARIA: Araria is the only Lok Sabha constituency in Seemanchal region from where the BJP has fielded its candidate. Otherwise, the NDA gave three other constituencies in the region — Purnia, Katihar and Kishanganj — to the JD(U) in the seat-sharing arrangements. Araria will go to the polls in the third phase on April 23.
Former MP Pradeep Kumar Singh of BJP is locked in a direct contest with Sarfaraz Alam of RJD.Alam had won the byelection in March 2018 following the death of his father and sitting RJD MP Mohammed Taslimuddin on September 17, 2017.
BJP is mainly relying on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charishma. Modi is to address an election rally at Forbesganj on April 20 in favour of the BJP nominee.
Singh had won the seat in 2009 general election on the BJP ticket, but lost to Taslimuddin in 2014 by a margin 1.46 lakh votes. Earlier, in 2004, Sukdeo Paswan of BJP had won this seat.
“Araria is considered to be the traditional seat of BJP which has won the Lok Sabha seat four times since 1991. RJD has won thrice during this period. In 1998, Ramji Das Rishidev of BJP had defeated Gita Devi of RJD,” BJP district president Santosh Surana said.
Surana said the PM’s meeting would consolidate the OBC and the EBC votes in favour of Singh. Vidya Sagar Kesari of BJP is the MLA from Forbesganj, which falls under Araria Lok Sabha constituency.
Locals recall Modi’s election rally at Forbesganj in 2014. Though Singh lost, But the assembly seat went to the BJP’s kitty in 2015 election.
Sarfaraz is primarily banking on the RJD’s Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) combination. He is also eyeing the Mahadalit votes. “That’s why former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, a known Dalit face of the Mahagathbandhan, and former deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav addressed two public meetings at Narpatganj,” RJD functionary Dilip Kumar said.
In the 2018 byelection, RJD had performed very well in Jokihat and Araria assembly segments. BJP had organized meetings of NDA star campaigners Rajnath Singh, Sushil Kumar Modi and Ram Vilas Paswan at Narpatganj recently. CM Nitish Kumar will also address a rally at Raniganj on April 21.
NDA is focused on Sikti, Narpatganj and Forbesganj assembly segments to increase the vote base. “Development is not an issue here. Voters are divided on caste lines and they will vote on that only,” said Ratneshwar Kumar Pandey (55), a senior teacher at a private college in Araria.
The RJD nominee says people are with him. “I have been closely associated with my voters since I got elected as MP. I will try to win the confidence of people across all sections of society,” Sarfaraz told this newspaper.
Situated close to the Indo-Nepal border, Araria is deeply affected with transborder activities. “Since the state has been declared ‘dry’, bootlegging has become a lucrative business for the local youth. They earn good profit in the illegal trade, thanks to the nexus between the police and liquor traders,” Prajapati Singh of Forbesganj said.
The BJP nominee, who was busy in his election campaigning, said on Thursday, “I am seeking votes on the basis of development works and nothing else. The NDA government in the state and at the Centre has delivered benefits of different welfare schemes to the people. These are visible.”
Residents of Aurahi Hingana village, the birthplace of noted Hindi littérateur Phanishwar Nath Renu, said, “We will vote to the BJP keeping CM Nitish in mind.”