Bihar gears up for by-elections amid three-way contest

New Delhi: Just like the upcoming by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar is also gearing up for by-polls on four assembly seats that became vacant after the sitting MLAs were elected as MPs. These by-elections, expected later this year, are set to become more interesting as Bihar will witness a three-way contest with the entry of political strategist Prashant Kishore’s party, Jan Suraaj. Previously, the battle for political dominance in Bihar was primarily between the NDA and the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, but the introduction of Jan Suraaj has turned it into a triangular contest. The competition has become more intense due to the three-way dynamic.
With four MLAs now serving as MPs after the Lok Sabha elections, parties have ramped up preparations for the upcoming assembly by-elections.
According to a source within the Jan Suraaj Party, the party is preparing to field candidates in these by-elections, marking their first foray into electoral politics. The party is expected to soon announce the names of its candidates.
Similarly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA has ramped up its preparations for the upcoming by-elections. As part of this effort, a meeting was held under the leadership of BJP State President and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary to discuss seat-sharing arrangements. The party leaders focused on two assembly seats in Shahabad, Ramgarh, and Tarari, where the BJP faced defeat in the 2020 assembly elections. However, for the by-elections, the NDA has agreed to allocate two seats to the BJP, one to the JDU, and one to HAM (Hindustani Awam Morcha) out of the four available seats. The search for strong candidates to secure these seats has also intensified within the alliance.
Rajeev Ranjan, the national spokesperson for the JDU, stated that under the NDA alliance, they are actively working on all four seats up for election. He expressed confidence in winning all four, asserting that the opposition, including RJD and Congress, has lost its grassroots support in Bihar. He added that the people of Bihar are beginning to see their true colours.
Earlier Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced that by-elections will be held for 47 seats, including 46 assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat, with the elections to be conducted within the next six months. Among these, four assembly seats in Bihar—Ramgarh, Bela, Imamganj, and Tarari—became vacant after the respective MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs Sudhakar Singh from Ramgarh and Surendra Yadav from Bela won the Buxar and Jehanabad Lok Sabha seats, respectively. Similarly, Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), the Imamganj MLA, and Sudama Prasad of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the Tarari MLA, secured victories in Gaya and Ara Lok Sabha constituencies.
A political analyst following Bihar’s politics closely noted that the entry of Jan Suraaj is likely to shift the state’s political dynamics. The upcoming by-elections on these four seats will be particularly interesting to watch, as they will reveal whether the NDA can maintain its influence or if the opposition alliance will demonstrate its strength. These by-elections are expected to set the stage for the Bihar assembly elections, scheduled for next year.