For Bhumihars of Begusarai, candidate before ‘consolidation’

Vineet Kumar (24) of Maharathpur also said he was at the rally to support Bogo Singh. Vineet and Manmohan found it easier to root for Grand Alliance candidates this time: it has fielded Bhumihars at Matihani and Begusarai.

At Begusarai Assembly seat, where the BJP has fielded Surendra Mehta, Bhumihars — of whom there are a significant number in the district — are flocking to the Congress’ Amita Bhushan, a fellow Bhumihar.

Many Bhumihars seem to be looking after their own interests first, which could undermine the theory that there is an upper-caste consolidation in favour of the BJP.

Rubbishing the suggestion that his support for Bogo Singh was caste-related, Vineet said, “If we forwards run after various candidates in the fray, we will split our vote. Better look beyond caste and stand together and support a candidate who will look after us.”

Manmohan was chatting with a group of women from the same village as Bogo Singh’s. “We are Kurmis, but we came only because Bogo Singh is the candidate,” said one of the women.

Mohammad Muzamil Hussain (57) said he was fooled in 2014: “I voted for Modiji last year because he promised so much. I did not know anything about him, so I thought dekhte hain yeh chidiya kya hai.”

The government schoolteacher, who lives in Hasanpur-Bagar village, believes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not keep his promises: “People in Delhi think Biharis are fools. It is almost Durga Puja; Modiji’s government delayed salary payments and it was left to Nitish Kumar to spend from his own pocket and help my colleagues who needed money for the festival,” Hussain said.

Binod Mallick was at the rally to thank the CM: “It is his reservation policy that made me probably the first Dalit (deputy) mukhiya of the area.” Binod (40) is a representative of Pachamba panchayat. He believes that Dalits have nothing to complain about when it comes to Nitish Kumar’s treatment of Jitan Ram Manjhi: “I had written to Manjhiji to not destroy the trust placed in him. Who knew him before Nitish introduced him to Bihar?”