Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 28
Begusarai in Bihar was won by the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with 4,28,227 votes. The CPI’s Yogendra Sharma won the seat way back in 1967. Since then, the seat had remained mostly with the Congress, RJD and JD (U) till the BJP wrested it in 2014.
Why then is BJP’s top leader Giriraj Singh, known for his hate speeches, upset over being shifted to Begusaria, so much so that party chief Amit Shah had to take to the social media to pacify him and declare that he continued to be the BJP’s man there. Is it because, as claimed by Giriraj Singh, he was not consulted on the seat change or is it the presence of the fiery student leader Kanhaiya Kumar in the fray, or more?
To pacify Giriraj Singh, known for “sending people to Pakistan” in his hate speeches, Shah on Wednesday tweeted: “Shri Giriraj Singh will contest from Bihar’s Begusarai. I have heard his problems and the organisation will find a solution. My good wishes for the election”.
In Bihar, the BJP is contesting 17 seats, its ally JD(U) 17 and Ram Bilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) six of the 40 seats. Giriraj Singh had won the Nawada seat in 2014. Party leaders say when he went public with his hurt, the BJP lost the perception battle in the constituency where the Left has fielded former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is known for his oratorical skills.
Begusarai, an area where the red flag still flutters, Begusarai earned its name as ‘Leningrad of Bihar’ and ‘Little Moscow’ after witnessing a long-drawn struggle between the landless and landlords, bhumihars, under the banner of communist parties. Political observers say Begusaria is one place where the Left vote bank is intact, both in the town and villages.
With a strong leader like Kanhaiya Kumar, also a bhumihar, in fray, the contest against the candidate of “a party that helps capitalists and thrives on money-muscle power”, is expected to be intense. What makes the battle even more interesting is the presence of 2014 runners-up Tanveer Hassan of the RJD, who had polled 3, 69, 892 votes.
Kanhaiya Kumar has already begun campaigning with the help of Left’s dedicated cadre. Even though the CPI secured the third position in 2014, it polled a decent 1,92,639 votes. In 1967, it had won the elections with 1,80,883 votes.
Despite its alliance with the RJD elsewhere, the CPI-ML is supporting Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai One reason could be his father’s association with the party and it’s earlier underground Indian People’s Front (IPF). Any more reasons why Giriraj Singh is worried?
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2uylGJd
via Today’s News Headlines
No comments: