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How big a factor will Nishad vote bank become in Lok Sabha elections 2024?
Who is the leader of Nishads in Bihar – Mukesh Sahni, Madan Sahni or Hari Sahni?
There is a tussle between the Grand Alliance and the NDA camp regarding the Nishad vote bank.
Patna. Ever since Rashtriya Janata Dal entered into an agreement with Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party on seat sharing with the allies in the Grand Alliance, the tussle over Nishad votes has started in Bihar. Apart from Gopalganj and Jhanjharpur, Rashtriya Janata Dal has given Motihari seat to Mukesh Sahni’s party VIP from its quota. On the pretext of agreement with Mukesh Sahni, Rashtriya Janata Dal is eyeing Nishad vote bank. Rashtriya Janata Dal knows that Mukesh Sahni and his party can prove to be a trump card for Rashtriya Janata Dal. Not only this, Mukesh Sahni’s party can also prove to be a headache for the candidates of JDU and BJP.
In fact, Mukesh Sahni, who promotes himself as Son of Mallah in Bihar politics, has been doing the politics of Mallahs since his initial days. Mukesh Sahni made the demand for reservation for Nishads his issue and then gradually established himself in politics. There are about two dozen sub-castes of boatmen in Bihar. According to an estimate, the share of Nishads in the vote bank of Bihar is a little more than two and a half percent, but including all the 15 sub-castes of Nishads, it is about 8 to 9%. In the Bihar caste census report, the population of these sub-castes has been mentioned separately.
The tussle over Nishad vote bank is not a new thing.
Actually, the tussle over Nishad vote bank in Bihar is not a new thing. Be it BJP, JDU or Rashtriya Janata Dal, all make efforts to get Nishad votes in their favor in every election. Talking about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP is trying to woo the Nishad vote bank in its fold by putting forward the face of Hari Sahni, while JDU is trying to woo the Nishad vote bank in the name of Madan Sahni. Even during the 2020 assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal had entered into an agreement with Mukesh Sahni, but did not promise to field him. But, due to coordination of seats, things went wrong and Mukesh Sahni left the Grand Alliance accusing Rashtriya Janata Dal of betrayal.
Mukesh Sahni still has a lot to prove
According to political analysts, Mukesh Sahni may have declared himself the leader of Nishads, but from the point of view of political success, he has not been able to achieve anything special. The percentage of votes he secured in some of the by-elections has definitely weakened the condition of his opponents. As far as JDU is concerned, in the eyes of analysts, he may have a face like Madan Sahni, but it cannot be denied that JDU has been getting the benefit of Nitish Kumar’s hold on the extremely backward vote bank. At the same time, in the strategy that BJP has prepared in the changing times, it is keeping a close eye on the extremely backward vote bank. BJP has gained hold on this vote bank by putting forward leaders like Hari Sahni.
Search for leader in race to stake claim on Nishad vote bank
Political analysts say, in the current political scenario Mukesh Sahni may call himself Son of Mallah. It is a different matter that his face is bigger than his rivals, but it is not that he has established a monopoly on the Nishad vote bank. The truth is that litmus test of Mukesh Sahni is going on right now. His success in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections of 2024 and 2025 will largely decide his future politics.
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Tags: Bihar NDA, Loksabha Election 2024, Loksabha Elections, Mahagathbandhan, Mukesh Sahni
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 11, 2024, 12:04 IST