Nestled on the border of Bihar with Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, Valmikinagar and West Champaran Lok Sabha constituencies are gearing up for a competitive electoral battle between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is anticipated to bolster the prospects of NDA candidates in these constituencies. Valmikinagar, once known as Bagaha, emerged as a Lok Sabha constituency after the delimitation exercise in 2008. Since then, NDA candidates, including three victories for the JD(U) and one for the BJP, have dominated the seat. However, this time, the mahagathbandhan candidate Deepak Yadav of the RJD poses a formidable challenge to the JD(U)’s Sunil Kumar. Kumar secured victory in the bypoll for the seat in 2020, narrowly defeating Congress’ Pravesh Mishra following the demise of his father, the then sitting MP Baidyanath Mahto, who represented the constituency in 2009 and 2019. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Mahto defeated Congress’ Shashwat Kedar by over 3.5 lakh votes in Valmikinagar. The 2014 election saw BJP’s Satish Chandra Dubey emerge victorious in Valmikinagar, which holds the distinction of being the north-westernmost parliamentary seat in Bihar, sharing its border with Nepal. Dubey sought to contest from the seat again as the BJP candidate, but under the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement, Valmikinagar was allocated to the ally JD(U), which retained Kumar as its candidate. RJD’s Yadav, a local sugar mill owner with roots in Haryana, has emerged as a strong contender against Kumar, drawing support from a significant number of sugarcane-growing farmers in the area. Two other sugar mill owners have also extended their backing to Yadav’s campaign. It is noteworthy that Yadav was an active member of the BJP before securing the RJD ticket to contest the election. “Yes, I was in the BJP for a substantial period, but when the Opposition RJD showed interest in my candidature from this seat, I decided to serve the people of the area, raising their voice in Parliament with the RJD ticket,” Yadav stated during his campaign at Lagunaha village. “I have been engaged in social work in the area for the past 17 years, standing by them through their joys and sorrows,” he added. When asked if he was perceived as an ‘outsider,’ Yadav responded, “Isn’t PM Narendra Modi an outsider in Varanasi? Isn’t Rahul Gandhi an outsider in Rai Bareilly?” Voters in the constituency expressed their views on the contest. “The contest is close, but the NDA candidate has an advantage due to the Prime Minister. We will be voting not for the NDA’s candidate but for Modi-ji to become PM again,” said voters at Parorha village. Issues of concern for voters in the constituency include flooding, drought, migration caused by unemployment, and the challenges faced by sugarcane farmers. “The RJD candidate has maintained strong connections with the local people for a long time,” remarked Prameet Singh, a farmer, and businessman in Rampurva village. Moving to West Champaran, the BJP’s three-time sitting MP Sanjay Jaiswal, who has held the seat since 2009, faces a challenge from Congress’ Madan Mohan Tiwari. In the 2019 election, Jaiswal defeated the then Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (since renamed Rashtriya Lok Morcha) candidate Brijesh Kumar Kushwaha by nearly three lakh votes. Jaiswal is engaged in a tough battle against the mahagathbandhan candidate, Congress’ Madan Mohan Tiwari. Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah addressed a public meeting at the Ramana ground in Bettiah, the district headquarters of West Champaran, seeking votes for Jaiswal. “We will cross the 400-mark and Narendra Modi will become Prime Minister for the third time,” Shah declared. While some voters expressed their support for the NDA candidate to ensure Modi’s return to power, others voiced concerns about unemployment and communal rhetoric. “We are tired of the constant Hindu-Muslim narrative from top BJP leaders and the flip-flops of Nitish Kumar. We will not vote for them,” said Zia-ul-Haque and Ashraf Alam of Kathari village. Ajay Kumar of Chanpatia block concurred with their sentiments but predicted a favorable outcome for the ruling alliance. “NDA candidate PM Modi ke naam per ant mein jeet jayega (the NDA candidate will eventually win the poll in the name of PM Modi),” he stated. The Valmikinagar and West Champaran constituencies will go to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 25.
Bihar Lok Sabha Battle: Modi’s Popularity Boosts NDA’s Chances in Valmikinagar, West Champaran
