Patna: India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had probably been right when he called the Assembly polls in Bihar the “Mother of all Elections”.
There is probably not other state in the country where electioneering attracts so much attention. From Mahagatbandhan members fielding candidates against each other to nominees getting arrested on criminal charges immediately after filing their papers, Bihar has seen it all.
And now, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) scion and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav seema all set to campaign against the party’s own candidate in the Gaura Bauram constituency.
The RJD had initially declared Afzal Ali Khan as its candidate from the constituency. He had been issued the party’s lantern symbol and official documentation. Eager to begin his campaign, Khan traveled from Patna to his constituency.
He was unaware of a last-minute alliance deal between the RJD and Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) after which the seat was allotted to the latter. Under this pact, all Mahagathbandhan partners were expected to support the VIP’s nominee, Santosh Sahni.
RJD leaders attempted to persuade Khan to withdraw and return the party symbol, but he refused and proceeded to file his nomination. Election authorities confirmed that Afzal had followed all legal procedures and possessed valid documentation, leaving them unable to revoke his candidacy.
Khan’s name will now appear on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) with RJD’s lantern symbol, even as Tejashwi and other Mahagathbandhan leaders campaign for Sahni. This development will certainly confuse voters In a constituency that is difficult to understand.
In 2020, the Gaura Bauram seat was won by VIP’s Swarna Singh, who later joined the BJP. The Janata Dal (United) had held the seat in 2010 and 2015, reflecting the constituency’s fluctuating political loyalties.
