The results of by-elections held on four seats of Bihar Assembly are encouraging for NDA. By-elections were held on Ramgarh, Tarari, Belaganj and Imamganj seats. These seats became vacant because the people who won these seats last time have now become MPs. Ramgarh seat became vacant after RJD leader Sudhakar Singh became MP and Belaganj seat became vacant after Surendra Yadav was elected MP. Their seats were vacant after the election of CPI (ML) MLA Sudama Prasad from Tarari seat and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi from Imamganj as MPs. RJD was in control of two seats – Ramgarh and Belaganj, while RJD’s ally CPI (ML) was in control of Tarari seat. Only Imamganj seat belonged to NDA.
RJD has been reduced to zero in the by-elections, while NDA has lost all the seats. After almost 35 years, RJD’s hold on Belaganj seat has been removed and JDU’s Manorama Devi has won. BJP has won Ramgarh and Tarari seats, while HAM continues to hold the Imamganj seat.
RJD will not accept the defeat of Belaganj
The by-elections held on these four seats are not going to have any impact on the government. However, this is a big blow for Tejashwi Yadav who is dreaming of becoming CM. This will send a message to the public that it is no longer easy for Tejashwi Yadav to overcome the NDA. Especially when Lalu Prasad Yadav held a meeting in Belaganj despite being ill. To save the Yadav votes from getting divided, he himself went and gave the message. To ensure that Muslim voters do not get dispersed due to Jan Suraj’s Muslim candidate, the son of late Siwan MP Shahabuddin was also fielded in the by-election.
Lalu was confident of his candidate’s victory at least on Belaganj seat. Because Surendra Yadav has been representing Belaganj for a long time. This time his son was made the candidate by RJD.
Prashant Kishore lost and also defeated
This was a political statement by Kanshi Ram, founder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He used to repeat this often. He used to say that a candidate should contest elections for the first time only to lose. Must enter the field to defeat for the second time. If you continue in the field for the third time then believe that success is certain. In Bihar, Prashant Kishor is seen clearing two of these steps in the first attempt.
Staying within the caste circle, he tried his best to implement the policy of Jan Suraj to break the caste consolidation. But, it is not possible to get Bihar out of the caste stranglehold that has been stuck for years in one stroke.
This was the reason why Prashant Kishor’s party Jan Suraj stood third in almost every seat and helped in the victory of others. According to Kanshiram, he overcame two obstacles in the first attempt. If they remain firm in the field without getting hurt by this defeat, then now their turn will come to win.
RJD stunned by Nitish Kumar’s move
Although Nitish Kumar’s reputation was not directly at stake, he must have been hopeful about the success of NDA in the by-elections. There were three reasons for this. First of all, in Belaganj, JDU had made Manorama Devi, a leader of similar status to Surendra Yadav, as its candidate. She has been an MLC of JDU. She also belongs to the same community as Surendra Yadav. Even in matters of dominance and wealth, she was no weaker than anyone. Recently, a large amount of cash and weapons were recovered from his house.
Nitish and all the big leaders of JDU went to Belaganj for election campaign. All kinds of equations ranging from caste to caste were created. Nitish had strong hopes of success in Belaganj because the possibility of Prashant Kishor playing in Belaganj had become possible because of Jan Suraj’s Muslim candidate. He anticipated that in a fight between two, the third would gain an advantage.
Seeing the gathering of Muslims in Prashant Kishor’s meetings, the breach in RJD’s M-Y equation was clearly visible. In the fight between Yadav and Yadav, the division of Yadavs was certain.
Jan Suraj had drawn the dividing line among Muslims. Lalu reached there as soon as he sensed danger. Osama Shahab, son of Shahabuddin, former MP from Siwan and one of the founders of the M-Y equation, also reached Belaganj. That means the M-Y equation has also collapsed in the by-elections. For this, the role of Prashant Kishore cannot be dismissed.
Tags: Bihar election 2024, Nitish kumar, Prashant Kishore, Tejashwi Yadav
FIRST PUBLISHED: November 23, 2024, 23:18 IST
