Bochahan bypoll: RJD romps home owing to split in NDA votes

While Amar Paswan got 82,5626 votes, BJP candidate Baby Kumari got 45,889 votes. RJD candidate Geeta Kumari, daughter of another former Bochahan MLA Ramai Ram, got 29,279 votes.

Amar Kumar Paswan with Tejaswi Yadav. (Photo: Twitter @RJDforIndia)

The parting of ways with Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) has led to BJP’s defeat in the bypoll for the Bochahan (Muzaffarpur) assembly seat in Bihar. On the other hand, the split in NDA votes helped the RJD regain the seat after over 15 years. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Amar Kumar Paswan won the seat with a handsome margin of 36,653 votes. BJP’s Baby Kumari finished as the runner-up, whereas VIP nominee Geeta Kumari came third. The VIP, however, said that “its purpose of defeating the BJP was served.”

Notably, the VIP was ousted from the NDA recently after all its three MLAs crossed over to the BJP. VIP chief Sahani, an MLC, was later sacked from Nitish Kumar’s cabinet.

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The Bochahan bypoll was necessitated after the death of VIP MLA Musafir Paswan. Although the VIP was the ‘natural’ claimant for contesting the seat from the NDA, its open criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath coupled with its decision to contest the Uttar Pradesh (UP) polls antagonised the BJP and the saffron party decided to put up a contestant in the Bochahan bypoll, said political commentators.

Also Read | Bochahan bypoll: Snubbing Mallah leader Sahani, taking Bhumihars for granted cost BJP dearly

RJD candidate Amar Paswan, son of former Bochahan VIP MLA Musafir Paswan, had switched over to the Lalu Prasad-led party at the last moment. While Amar Paswan got 82,562 votes, BJP candidate Baby Kumari got 45,909 votes. RJD candidate Geeta Kumari, daughter of another former Bochahan MLA Ramai Ram, got 29,279 votes.

Reacting to the party’s victory, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tewari said: “Bochahan victory has reinstated that the RJD is a formidable force in Bihar politics… Our next step is to make Tejashwi Prasad Yadav the CM of Bihar.” Tewari added that the most satisfying aspect of the bypoll win was the comprehensive margin of victory.

BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal said: “We have to review the loss in Bochahan. It is possible that we were not able to assess the mood of the electorate in Bochahan. But we accept the mandate with humility.”

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VIP chief and former minister Mukesh Sahani said: “Even though we lost, we have reasons to celebrate. People of Bochahan punished the BJP for mistreating us. We got about 18 per cent votes in a triangular contest and we will work to improve our show in future.”

Santosh Singh

Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More

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