Bihar polls second phase: From seat to seat in Gaya, the RSS effort

In Gurua, the BJP replaced sitting legislator Surindra Sinha with Rajiv Nandan, who is from Tikari.

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Bodhgaya: Buddhist monks of Mahabodhi temple wait in a queue to cast their vote during the second phase of Bihar assembly elections of Bihar on Friday. (Source: PTI)

In its stronghold of Gaya, whose constituencies voted Friday, the RSS stretched itself over the last few days hoping to offset any damage caused by “good caste management” of the maha gathbandhan.

RSS’s kshetra sampark pramukh (region contact head) for Bihar and Jharkhand Anil Thakur and Bihar prant pracharak Ramnavami Prasad and Vibhag Pracharak who heads the organisations activities in Gaya, Shergathi, Jehanabad and Arwal, Umesh Kumar held long meetings in Gurua and Bodh Gaya to help consolidate the support for BJP.

“The focus on this last-minute intervention by the senior leadership was to help resolve problems on the ground,” an RSS activist said. “At most places the BJP cannot solve problems by itself, so the RSS intervenes. BJP workers respect and listen to RSS leaders.”

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He explained the problems: “At many places, some karyakarta were upset that the candidate was ignoring them. For example, in Bodh Gaya, such karyakarta were told to think of the party and not the candidate. They were told they needn’t go to the candidate. Instead, vehicles were arranged for them separately.”

In Gurua, the BJP replaced sitting legislator Surindra Sinha with Rajiv Nandan, who is from Tikari. This was to pitch a Dangi against the JD(U)’s Dangi candidate, Ramchandra Prasad Singh. The Dangi community was given EBC status by the JD(U) government. “We tried to wean away as many Dangi votes as we could. It has been a difficult,” the RSS activist said. The NCP has fielded a Pathan Muslim, Anwar Ali Khan, and the BJP is hopeful he will cut into Singh’s vote.

In Sherghati, minister Vinod Prasad Yadav faced HAM’s Mukesh Kumar a.k.a. Krishna Yadav. For BJP, the problem comes from Manju Agarwal, an independent. She has been associated with Durga Vahini and has support within the Sangh vote bank. The RSS effort here was to prevent a division in the Sangh vote.

In Wazirganj, BJP MLA Birendra Singh and Congress’s Awadesh Kumar Singh are both strong Rajput candidates but there is anti-incumbency against the MLA. “Sonia Gandhi and Rajnath Singhji had meetings the same day and it was worrying to see more people in the Congress sabha,” the RSS activist said.

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In Atri, Kunti Devi of RJD is the wife of Rajinder Yadav, a local Bahubali, who is currently in jail. The JD(U) MLA, Krishan Nandan Yadav, is now contesting from Pappu Yadav’s party. This can split the Yadav vote. The LJP’s Arvind Singh is a Rajput. But with popular local mukhiya Darvesh Singh contesting independently, the Sangh fears he may cut into their vote. They are banking on the criminal background of Kunti Devi’s husband working against her.

Barachatti marks a battle of Musahar families. The RJD’s Samata Devi is is the daughter of former Gaya MP Baghwati Devi. Sudha Devi of the LJP is the daughter-in-law of current MP Hari Manjhi (BJP). The sitting MLA is the JD(U)’s Jyoti Manjhi, whose daughter is married to Jiitan Ram Manjhi’s son. Jyoti had stuck with Nitish when Jitan Ram rebelled. Now that she has been denied the ticket, she too has rebelled. The RSS is hopeful this will strengthen Jitan Ram’s hand and the LJP candidate. But 10 of the 11 candidates are Musahars.

In Bela, HAM’s Sharim Ali has fought RJD strongman Surendra Yadav. Ali is the only Muslim candidate fielded by either alliance in Magadh region. “The maha gathbandhan hasn’t given a ticket to a single Muslim in Magadh and they claim they have cent percent Muslim vote,” Sharim Ali said. “RSS is working very hard to make me win.” No leader from BJP or even Jitan Manjhi, however, came to campaign for him. “This wasn’t done purposely,” Ali said.
Bodh Gaya is a worry for BJP. Its MLA Shyamdeo Paswan faces anti-incumbency especially because alleged bribery in a hand-pump project. “It is a wrong accusation. Chapa kal were being installed by a contractor,” Paswan said. The RSS’s top leadership is at work here.

In Imamganj, the battle is Manjhi versus assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary. Manjhi is banking on anti-incumbency, the Mahadalit vote and a section of the Muslim vote. He has striven to dispel the view in Imamganj that he will surrender Imamganj if he wins Makdumpur too.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More