All eyes on 4 seats in Khagaria district

KHAGARIA: The Khagaria district, popularly known as ‘farkiya’ since Mughal period, was once part of the erstwhile Monghyr district. It is ravaged by floodwaters of the Ganga, Burhi Gandak, Kareh, Kamla, Bagmati and Kosi during the monsoon almost every year.
Altogether 67 candidates are in the fray in four seats – Alouli (SC), Khagaria, Beldaur (formerly Chautham) and Parbatta – in the district.The RJD had won the Alouli (SC) seat, while Khagaria, Beldaur and Parbatta seats went in favour of JD(U) in 2015 assembly elections.
As LJP led by Chirag Paswan is no longer an ally of NDA comprising JD(U), BJP, HAM(S) and VIP, it has fielded its candidates in all the four segments. The JD(U), Plurals Party and Jan Adhikar Party (JAP)-Loktantrik are contesting from all four segments, while RJD is contesting from Alouli (SC) and Parbatta and its ally Congress from Khagaria and Beldaur.
Alouli (SC): All eyes are on Alouli (SC) constituency from where LJP founder late Ram Vilas Paswan started his political career as SSP candidate in 1969 assembly elections. Paswan’s native village, Shaharbanni, has the distinction of producing four MPs, including senior Paswan, his younger brothers Pashupati Kumar Paras, Ramchandra Paswan and cousin Prince Raj.
There are 14 candidates in the fray but the main fight, it seems, is between LJP candidate Ramchandra Sada and JD(U)’s Sadhna Devi. Sitting RJD MLA Chandan Kumar, who has been denied party ticket, is contesting the election as rebel against the RJD’s official candidate Rambriksha Sada.
Khagaria: Altogether 21 candidates are in the fray in the seat. The main contest, observers feel, is between the two women candidates – sitting JD(U) MLA Poonam Devi Yadav and former MP Renu Kumari Kushwaha, who is contesting as LJP candidate. Congress candidate Chhatrapati Yadav, son of Rajendra Yadav, a Congress stalwart, and Manohar Yadav of JAP-L are also in the fray. JD(U) candidate Poonam, in her speeches, praises CM Nitish Kumar for all-round development in the state, while LJP’s Renu Kumari keeps on highlighting various problems of the area.
Beldaur: Beldaur assembly segment is all set to witness a multi-cornered contest. Altogether 17 candidates are trying their luck from the constituency. Sitting JD(U) MLA Pannalal Singh Patel is pitted against Congress’s Chandan Kumar, LJP’s Mithilesh Kumar Nishad and JAP-L’s Nagendra Singh Tyagi. JD(U) MLA Patel is facing a stiff challenge from LJP and Congress this time.
Parbatta: The Parbatta seat with a dominant population of Bhumihar caste has 15 candidates in the fray. The JD(U) has fielded Sanjeev Kumar, son of two-time MLA R N Singh, who is pitted against RJD’s Digambar Chaurasia and LJP’s Aditya Kumar Shaurya alias Babulal Shaurya, a BJP activist who switched over to the LJP recently. Polarisation of Bhumihar votes, observers say, may benefit either LJP or JD(U).