RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav at an election rally |
The four-time MP of the area Prabhunath Singh’s son Randhir Singh (RJD) is pitted against sitting BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal
Braving the scorching summer sun at 3 pm on May 8, a motley crowd at Pokhraira bazaar in Taraiya of Maharajganj Lok Sabha constituency was clapping loudly at every jibe RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was making on chief minister Nitish Kumar and his alliance partner BJP. The intense heat-wave wasn’t any deterrent for them as some of them even had climbed to the treetop with lantern (RJD symbol) in hand. The podium too was so crowded that threatened to be collapsed any moment.
However, Tejashwi Yadav, the star campaigner of mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), looked at ease with the response of the crowd gathered amidst blistering heat. Coming to the mic he first narrated an adage to the cheering crowd: “you know when God Rama was having hiccups, his wife Sita mata asked him what happened prabhu and god Ram replied: it seems election has come to India and the BJP guys have started remembering me again”, and the crowd burst into laughter. “This has been the real character of BJP…they remember god Ram, mandir-masjid when election comes…BJP bhagao, desh bachao…paltu chacha (refenerence to Nitish Kumar) bhagao, Bihar bachao (remove BJP, save country, remove Nitish Kumar, save Bihar)”, he repeated with the enthusiastic crowd.
“Earlier, my paltu chacha had said that he would prefer to subsume with soil than to join hands with the BJP…now, when he already has joined his hands with the BJP, he should be subsumed in the soil…hai ki nahi (isn’t it)?”, asked Tejashwi Yadav and the crowd nodded in loud. He further alleged, “you call him (Nitish Kumar) chief minister, I call him cheat Kumar…he is Chacha 420”. “All these BJP-ites and paltu chacha have connived together against my father Lalu Prasad and sent him to jail as they knew Lalu Prasad would not allow him to come to power again”, said Tejashwi Yadav and the crowd started shouting, “Lalu Yadav zindabad, Prabhunath Singh zindabad”.
‘Well-hatched conspiracy’
The four-time MP and bahubali (strongman) of the area Prabhunath Singh’s son Randhir Singh (RJD) is pitted against sitting BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal this time from Maharajganj Lok Sabha constituency. Prabhunath Singh is currently lodged in Hazaribagh jail in connection with a murder case and his son Randhir Singh, seemingly, has been trying to strike an emotional chord on the issue of his father’s imprisonment. “You all know how my father Prabhunath Singh has always been a partner in your good and bad days but, under a well-hatched conspiracy the BJP and Nitish Kumar sent him to jail…now you all have to take revenge against them by casting your vote for imprisoned Prabhunath Singh and Lalu Prasad Yadav”, appealed young Randhir Singh. And the crowd clapped.
The sitting BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal, though, is facing people’s wrath for not doing any development work in the constituency and his alleged involvement in some financial irregularities for welfare schemes but, he appears to be in challenging position against Randhir Singh riding on the “PM Modi buzz”. “It is true that the BJP candidate has not done anything for the development of the area but we’ll vote for PM Modi-ji and not for the candidate”, said an unemployed youth Ganesh Yadav of Chhapiyan village of Taraiya block. But, you didn’t get employment in PM Modi regime? “So what?...Modi ji has done a lot of work….desh ka maan-samaan bhi badhaya hai(country’s respect too has gone high)”, he replied curtly. An Intermediate student from local Masrakh High School, Tribhuwan Bind from an extremely backward caste too said, “Bihar mein bhi Modi sarkar honi chahiye (in Bihar too there should be Modi government)”. Why? “Didn’t you see all the Bhojpuri actors too have joined BJP and Modi government has been doing all these welfare things for us”, said he with much assertion in his voice. People sitting around him on a cemented platform under a swaying Banyan tree, too nodded in affirmation. “Modi ji ko hi vote padega, candidate to bekar hai( Modiji will get vote, the candidate is bogus), they said in chorus.
Caste politics
Maharajganj has substantial number of upper caste Rajput and backward Vaishya votes with Yadavs and Muslims playing the decisive number in influencing the result. The constituency has also sizeable number of EBC votes. The mahagathbandhan candidate Randhir Singh is banking on RJD’s traditional M-Y (Muslims and Yadavs) vote bank with support of his Rajput castemen, while, the NDA candidate Janardan Singh Sigriwal relies on Rajput, Vaishya and EBC votes along with “Modi buzz” to retain the seat. However, Sadhu Yadav, the estranged brother-in-law of Lalu Prasad, too has thrown his hat in the poll ring on BSP ticket allegedly to make a dent into Yadav vote bank of RJD candidate. “A BJP agent too is in the fray here…I’ll not take his name and say anything against him but you must have understood whom I’m talking about…teach him also a lesson in this election”, said Tejashwi Yadav and the crowd shouted, “Sadhu Yadav vote-katwa hai (Sadhu Yadav is a spoiler)”. The Maharajganj parliamentary seat comprises six assembly segments Goriyakothi, Maharajganj, Ekma, Manjhi, Baniapur, Taraiya. Of these four are in Saran district while two in Siwan.
Maharajganj undergoes poll today on May 12.
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