Campaign for four seats of Bihar bypolls ends

Patna, Nov 11 (IANS) Campaigning for the upcoming by-elections in Bihar’s four seats concluded on Monday.

Four assembly constituencies – Belaganj, Imamganj, Tarari, and Ramgarh – will hold by-elections on Wednesday, November 13. The final outcome will be known on November 23, once counting is completed.

While the primary contest is between the NDA and the Grand Alliance, the entry of Jan Suraaj, led by Prashant Kishor, has introduced a potential third force, setting the stage for a possible triangular contest in several seats.

The Belaganj constituency in Gaya district, where RJD has held power for nearly three decades, has become particularly intense with 14 candidates in the running.

RJD’s long-standing hold on this seat has been disrupted after its previous MLA, Surendra Yadav, vacated the seat upon being elected as an MP.

RJD has fielded Surendra Yadav’s son, Vishwanath Singh Yadav, to retain control. The NDA has nominated JDU’s Manorama Devi as its candidate, while Jan Sursaj’s Prashant Kishor is backing Mohammad Amjad.

In a show of strength, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav addressed a large rally in Belaganj on Monday to boost support for Vishwanath Yadav, emphasising unity within the RJD’s core voter base of Muslim and Yadav.

Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor led a roadshow in Belaganj, rallying for Mohammad Amjad and seeking to attract voters who might be looking for an alternative to the traditional parties.

The three-way race has sparked widespread interest, as Jan Sursaj’s presence challenges the established RJD dominance in Belaganj.

Besides Belaganj, the campaign for Ramgarh, Tarari and Imamganj also concluded on Monday.

In Ramgarh, this constituency has the fewest candidates in the fray, with five contenders. RJD has nominated Ajit Singh, the son of Bihar RJD President Jagdanand Singh, aiming to retain the seat after Ajit’s elder brother Sudhakar Singh vacated it upon winning a Lok Sabha seat from Buxar.

The BJP has fielded former MLA Ashok Singh, leading to a likely close race between Ajit Singh and Ashok Singh.

In Tarari, the CPI (ML) has historically held this seat and is vying to retain it by nominating Raju Yadav. The BJP has introduced Vishal Prashant, son of former MLA Sunil Pandey, as its candidate, marking a strong challenge.

Jan Suraaj is also in the mix with Kiran Devi as its candidate, potentially making this a multi-cornered contest with 10 candidates in total.

In Imamganj, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), a constituent of the NDA, is contesting Imamganj with Deepa Manjhi, daughter-in-law of Union Minister and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, who previously represented this seat before becoming an MP.

RJD has nominated Rakesh Roshan to challenge HAM’s hold, intensifying competition in a field of nine candidates.

Jan Suraj has given the ticket to Jitendra Paswan who is a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) of the Sherghati region of the Imamganj constituency.

–IANS

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