Lok Sabha polls 2024: Bihar to vote in Phase 1. Here are the key candidates

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In Bihar, the BJP has fielded its candidates in the Aurangabad and Nawada constituencies and the Gaya (reserved) seat has gone to the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), an ally of the BJP. The Jamui seat has been kept for Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV)

The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections are set to begin on April 19 as the world’s biggest democracy will exercise its right to vote and decide who will remain in power for the next five years. 

The state of Bihar, which has 40 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in all the phases of Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

In the first phase of elections, Bihar will hold polls in four constituencies – Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui and Nawada on April 19. This will decide the future of 38 candidates who are in fray in these four constituencies.

In this election, the ruling party BJP has fielded its candidates in the Aurangabad and Nawada constituencies and the Gaya (reserved) seat has gone to the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), an ally of the BJP. The Jamui seat has been kept for Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV), which has always enjoyed a stronghold in the region.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clinched victory on all four seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The BJP clinched victory in Aurangabad, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) won in Gaya, and the then-united Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) clinched victory in both Jamui and Nawada. 

Here are the key candidates   

Jitan Ram Manjhi 

HAM(S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi has been pitted by the NDA in the Gaya constituency against the Mahagathbandhan’s Kumar Sarvajeet, who is from the RJD.

79-year-old Manjhi, who is Bihar’s former chief minister, will be trying his luck for the fourth time in Gaya Lok Sabha constituency. 

49-year-old Kumar Sarvjeet is the sitting MLA of RJD from Bodh Gaya. He has been fielded by the RJD from the Gaya constituency in Lok Sabha elections against Manjhi and has vowed to “defeat him in his fourth attempt.”

BSP’s Sushma Kumari is also in the fray in Gaya and has been banking on the EBC voters in the constituency.

Arun Bharti 

LJP-RV chief Mr. Chirag Paswan has this time fielded his brother-in-law Arun Bharti from the Jamui (reserved) seat against Mahagathbandhan candidate Archana Ravidas

Paswan himself has been the MP from Jamui twice in 2014 and 2019 and the constituency is considered his party’s stronghold.

Vivek Thakur

BJP’s Vivek Thakur is set to give a tough fight to Mahagathbandhan’s OBC candidate Shrawan Kushwaha at Nawada along with independent candidates Vinod Yadav and Bhojpuri singer Gunjan Singh as his opponents.

Watch: India elections 2024: Battle for Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats; NDA vs Grand Alliance in Bihar

Shrawan Kushwaha has been rallying against Vivek Thakur by playing the local versus “jo yahan ka beta hoga, wohi yahan ka neta hoga“ (only a local will lead). Thakur, who belongs to Patna district, has called the issue “insignificant”.

Both Thakur and Kushwaha will be for the first time contesting the Lok Sabha elections. 

Sushil Kumar Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sushil Kumar Singh and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Abhay Kushwaha are the prominent candidates contesting elections from the Aurangabad constituency.

BJP’s Sushil Kumar Singh had won the General Elections in 2019 with a victory margin of 72,607 votes after clinching 4,31,541 votes.

(With inputs from agencies)

Prisha

Prisha is a digital journalist at WION and she majorly covers international politics. She loves to dive into features and explore different cultures and histories

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