Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Yogi Adityanath to address two rallies in Champaran today
Of the nine seats scheduled to go to polls in the two districts in the second phase, five seats are held by BJP. Yogi will address a rally each at Areraj (in East Champaran) and Chanpatiya (in West Champaran)
With barely six days to go for the second phase of polling in Bihar assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will address two rallies on Wednesday to boost the NDA’s prospects in East and West Champaran districts of Bihar, where stake are high for the BJP.
Of the nine seats scheduled to go to polls in the two districts in the second phase, five seats are held by BJP.
Yogi will address a rally each at Areraj (in East Champaran) and Chanpatiya (in West Champaran). Here, BJP is facing a stiff challenge to repeat its past performance.
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About a 10-km drive on a narrow road from Imli Chowk in Bettiah, headquarters of West Champaran district, take one to Saraiyya village in Nautan assembly constituency -- a pocket borough of NDA -- which was won by JD(U) in 2005 (February), 2005 (October), 2010 and by BJP’s Narayan Prasad in the 2015 elections. However, indignation against the MLA is noticeable here. “How can you expect development of the area when the MLA is never present?” asked Sikandar Ram, a local resident. “The poor condition of the roads is the biggest challenge...what could have been a 30-minute drive takes us 90 minutes,” said Sanjay Prakash Kushwaha, expressing displeasure over the development works of the past few years.
Sitting MLA Narayan Prasad counters that by saying that 225 roads, and community halls in panchayats were constructed during his tenure.
At Bettiah, BJP’s Renu Devi, who has won the seat four times -- in 2000, 2005 (February), 2005 (October) and 2010 elections, is locked in a straight fight with sitting Congress MLA Madan Mohan Tiwari. She, however, won’t have it easy because of the alleged highhandedness of her brother. Last year in June, a video footage went viral showing one Ravi Kumar alias Pinnu, Devi’s brother, brutally thrashing a shopkeeper’s staff only because the latter did not stand up when the politician’s brother visited the shop. He allegedly abducted the staff and took him to the office of the Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) where he further tortured him, prompting Devi to distance herself from him.
“Why should we vote for a candidate whose family members run amok?” asked the owner of a famous commercial establishment, refusing to be identified.
The Chanpatiya assembly seat -- a pocket borough of the BJP since 2000 -- promises another interesting fight, where both BJP and Congress have fielded debutants Umakant Singh and Abhishek Rajan respectively. However, making the pitch slippery for the BJP nominee is Manish Kashyap, a local independent candidate. BJP leaders privately admit that Kashyap could eat into the BJP vote. “But, things could change after Yogi’s rally preceded by Prime Minister’s expected rally on November 1 in Motihari,” said a BJP leader.
Of the seats going to polls in the second phase in these two districts, a majority have sent the candidates of parties loyal to NDA, especially the BJP, on more occasions than one. However, the anti-incumbency factor, coupled with representatives’ alleged poor visibility in the area and people’s disenchantment with some candidates, are set to give the BJP a tough time.
Of the nine seats, while BJP has won the Chanpatiya seat in all the five elections held since 2000, Nautan was won by JD(U) four consecutive times since 2000 before BJP’s Narayan Prasad wrested the seat in 2015 elections. Presently held by Congress, the Bettiah seat has been loyal to BJP in all the four elections held between 2000 and 2010. In East Champaran, Madhuban went once to BJP and twice to JD(U) in the past three elections, Govindganj (LJP once, JD(U) thrice in past four elections in a row), Pipra seat (once by JD(U) and three times by BJP in the past four elections), Kalyanpur (once each by BJP, and JD(U) in the past two elections). The two remaining seats of Harshidih and Kesariya have been represented by the BJP in the past.
However, odds are stacked against the RJD too, following the denial of tickets to two sitting MLAs of Kesariya and Harshidih where elections are slated on November 3.
