To win in world’s ‘first republic’, RJD wagers on eroding NDA’s Bhumihar base

Of the 18.65 lakh voters in Vaishali, there are an estimated 2.5 lakh Bhumihars, 2 lakh Rajputs, Yadavs and SC-STs each, 1,25 lakh Muslims, 1.65 lakh OBC Kushwahas, and 1.25 lakh EBC Mallahs, among others.

This election, the RJD has fielded Independent MLA Vijay Kumar Shukla, popularly known as Munna Shukla, an upper caste Bhumihar to create fissures in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) traditional vote bank. Shukla and his family have dominated the politics in Vaishali, particularly in Lalganj, for two decades. The 55-year-old, the RJD’s last-minute choice in the constituency, has been directly addressing his community on the hustings.

Vote share in the Vaishali Lok Sabha seat.

“It has been enough of slogans, inflation, and unemployment under NDA’s 10-year rule. I am appealing to my fellow community people to support me,” Shukla said at a recent public meeting. In line with his party’s focus, the RJD candidate has been playing up the jobs it created when it was in power as part of the 17-month Mahagathbandhan government.

Meanwhile, leading the NDA’s charge is sitting MP Veena Devi, who is a Rajput and the only one of the five LJP rebel MPs renominated by Chirag Paswan. Veena, 53, whose husband Dinesh Singh is said to be close to Nitish Kumar, is campaigning on PM Narendra Modi’s welfare schemes such as free ration, Ujjwala Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat. “Records are there to see how much work has been done under Narendra Modi’s leadership, right from national highways and bridges to popular schemes,” Devi told the crowd at a recent public meeting in Paru, one of the six Assembly segments that are part of the Lok Sabha constituency.

Voters, who chose the LJP last two times over Raghuvansh Singh, appear divided. A Vaishali resident and local businessman, Mandhata Singh, said, “We have a tough choice. If we think locally, Munna Shukla is from our area. But if we think on a bigger scale, there is Narendra Modi.”

In Paru, Master’s degree student Rajeev Kumar said, “We consider Raghuvansh babu as our credible MP. He had appeal across castes and religions. Since 2014, we have only filled the gaps. We are still in search of a good candidate. While Munna Shukla has moved from one party to another, Veena Devi is more of a shadow of her husband. We are not greatly enthused with the choice of candidates by both camps.”

Several EBC and SC voters The Indian Express spoke to were still on the fence. Prakash Mandal, an electrician from Baruraj, said, “I have come from Delhi to cast my vote. We generally watch which way the wind is blowing as we need security and safety.” Mandal said the Nitish government had built good roads and provided 24-hour power supply. “But we are still forced to migrate in the absence of industrial growth. Even a daily wager gets Rs 700-Rs 100 outside Bihar as against Rs 300-Rs 500 per day wages in Bihar,” he added.

Among SC women, there is a lot of support for Modi’s schemes. Rubi Devi, a resident of Sahebganj, said, “At least, we are getting five kg of free ration. We have little to do with Ram Mandir and other issues. We need bread and education.” However, she complained that it was difficult to refill LPG cylinders given under the Ujjwala scheme because of the soaring price of cooking gas.

Vaishali, said schoolteacher Manoj Pandey, is one constituency where the caste factor dominates. “Loktantra ki janani jatitantra se nahi nikal paayi (the mother of democracy has not been yet able to leave behind caste politics),” he said.