In the Lok Sabha elections, BJP has suffered a major setback in Bihar as well as Uttar Pradesh. Out of 40 seats in Bihar, it has won only 12 seats. Among all the parties of NDA, its strike rate has been the worst. It contested on 17 seats in the state, but won only 12 seats. JDU contested on 16 seats and it also won 12 seats. Chirag Paswan’s LJP won all its five seats. Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM Party also managed to win a big victory on his seat. That is, all the parties of NDA performed better than BJP.
On the other hand, the Grand Alliance has won nine seats and independent candidate Pappu Yadav has won. In this way, they have got 10 seats. RJD has got four seats, Congress has got two seats and CPI(ML) has got two seats. Although this is not a very big victory for the Grand Alliance, but looking at the figures of 2019, it becomes a big victory. In 2019, out of 40 seats in Bihar, Congress got only one seat under the Grand Alliance.
K factor showed its colours
After this, Tejashwi Yadav started looking towards other caste groups to increase his vote bank apart from Muslim-Yadav. Then Tuesday’s result proved fruitful for his efforts. Actually, Kushwaha is an OBC caste in the state. This caste is the second largest caste in terms of population after the Yadav community. According to a recent survey of the Bihar government, their population in the state is 4.2 percent. This caste is in a good position economically and educationally in the OBC category.
Traditionally, this caste Nitish Kumar Nitish Kumar has been a JDU and BJP voter. Nitish Kumar is from the Kurmi community. Kushwaha and Kurmi are castes of the same class. It is said that these two castes are brothers.
The BJP ignored it
But, in the 2024 elections, the BJP ignored the Kushwaha community. It did not give a ticket to even a single Kushwaha leader. Although the BJP has given ticket to the Kushwaha community in Bihar, Samrat Chowdhary has given the post of Deputy CM to him. Then as an ally of NDA, Pawan Singh contested as an independent candidate against Upendra Kushwaha in Karakat, this message spread completely that BJP is ignoring this caste. Although for the sake of show it has put forward Samraj Chaudhary. Pawan Singh was a BJP leader but he contested as an independent.
The grand alliance fielded seven candidates
On the other hand, the Mahagathbandhan fielded seven leaders of the Kushwaha community. RJD gave tickets to three Kushwahas. Then Congress, VIP, CPI(ML) and CPI(M) fielded one candidate each. Due to Pawan Singh contesting in Karakat, Rajput voters openly came in his support. Then this belief got strengthened that B J P The BJP is not giving due importance to the Kushwaha community. A similar situation was seen in Siwan Lok Sabha seat where the upper castes almost united against JDU’s Kushwaha community candidate Vijaylakshmi Devi and openly announced their support to Shahabuddin’s wife Hina Shahab. This created an atmosphere in the entire state that the BJP is fanning the atmosphere against the Kushwaha community. However, Vijaylakshmi Devi has won in Siwan.
In this environment, the Kushwaha community’s vote got divided. A large section of this community leaned towards the Mahagathbandhan. Then what happened was that BJP got badly trapped in the five seats around Karakat. CPI(ML)’s Kushwaha community candidate Rajaram Singh won in Karakat. RJD’s Kushwaha candidate Abhay Kushwaha won in Aurangabad. Apart from this, BJP had to face defeat in Ara, Buxar and Sasaram as well.
Tags: Bihar News, Lok Sabha Election 2024, Lok Sabha Elections
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 5, 2024, 10:58 IST