Bihar Lok Sabha Elections: It's Nishad against Nishad in battle of turncoats in Muzaffarpur

It's Nishad versus Nishad in this general election in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, which is famous for its shahi litchi. What has made the battle interesting is the BJP's decision to deny ticket to its sitting MP Ajay Nishad and, subsequently, pick Raj Bhushan Choudhari Nishad, who was fielded by the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), part of the opposition mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), in 2019.

After being denied a ticket, Ajay Nishad lost little time in joining the Congress and was soon rewarded with the ticket by his new party.

"Ajay Nishad ke parivaar ka yahan 28 saal se dabdaba hai. Is baar samapt hoga (Ajay Nishad's family has dominated this seat for 28 years. But that will come to an end this time," said Pankaj Kumar, a supporter of Raj Bhushan, in the BJP's central office in Sikandarpur locality of Muzaffarpur.


While Ajay's father Jai Narayan Nishad was elected to the Lok Sabha from this seat in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2009 on the RJD and JDU tickets, Ajay won this seat for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019 as BJP candidate. So, his presence in the fray as Congress candidate is surprising for most of the voters.



While the opposition alliance is making its best efforts to woo most backward caste (MBC) voters in order to go beyond its traditional support among Muslims and Yadavs, the BJP's challenge is to bag the majority of the decisive Nishad votes. Since the VIP, known as a party of Nishad voters, is in the opposition alliance, Ajay Nishad's camp is hopeful of receiving full support from the Nishad voters.

"Before joining the BJP in 2020, our candidate Raj Bhushan Choudhari was with the same VIP. Raj Bhushanji is the leader of Nishad voters at local level, not Mukesh Sahni, who heads the VIP," said Sonu, a BJP supporter. He said Choudhari has been active in the area since joining the BJP about four years ago. "In the last four years, he also came in close contact with party workers in different parts of Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha seat. Thus, he is a known face among party workers also," he said.

Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha constituency comprises six assembly seats - Gaighat, Aurai, Bochahan, Sakara, Karahani and Muzaffarnagar. In 2020 assembly polls, Gaighat, Bochahan and Muzaffarpur went in favour of the opposition alliance. Vijendra Choudhari, the Congress candidate, was elected to the state assembly from Muzaffarpur seat. "Vijendraji was also in the race for the Congress party's ticket to contest from Muzaffarpur LS seat," said a BJP leader.

The Lok Sabha constituency has Vaishya, Bhumihar, Nishad, Kushwaha and Scheduled Caste voters in significant numbers, apart from Muslims.

The BJP camp is guarding against the opposition's strategy of seeking to make a dent into the NDA's Kushwaha support base.