Bhojpur, Saran, Siwan, and Gopalganj: Will the Grand Alliance Lead this Time?

Bhojpur: Voting for 121 seats is taking place in the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections today, November 6. Of these, 31 seats, situated across four districts – Bhojpur, Saran, Siwan, and Gopalganj – are the very ones where the mahagathbandhan or grand alliance performed remarkably well in the previous election, winning 20.

The grand alliance aims to replicate and boost its previous success by forming a broader coalition than in the last election, concentrating on the Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs), and announcing major initiatives such as a permanent job for every household, a monthly stipend of Rs 2,500 for every woman under the Mai-Behan Yojana, gas cylinders priced at Rs 500, the regularisation of contract workers, Rs 30,000 for the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, and increased funding for social security schemes. On the other hand, the NDA is working to boost its seat count in this region by touting development initiatives, including pre-election pension hikes, a Rs 10,000 support for Jeevika Didi workers, 125 units of free electricity, and a commitment to prevent the resurgence of 'jungle raj.'

In the first phase, voting will take place in seven seats in Bhojpur district, ten in Saran, six in Gopalganj, and eight in Siwan district.

In the previous election, the Grand Alliance secured six out of the eight seats in Siwan district: Siwan, Raghunathpur, Barharia, Maharajganj, Jiradei, and Darauli. CPI (ML) candidates emerged victorious in Jiradei and Darauli. Congress claimed victory in Maharajganj, while RJD candidates won in Siwan, Raghunathpur, and Barharia.

Also read: How Did Electors in the 121 Bihar Seats Polling Today Vote in 2020?

BJP's Karamveer Singh, also known as Vyas Singh, won in Duraudha, while Devesh Kant Singh triumphed in Goreyakothi.

Out of the 10 seats in Saran, the RJD secured victories in Ekma, Baniapur, Madhaura, Garkha, Parsa, and Sonepur, while the CPI (M) claimed the Manjhi seat. The BJP achieved victories in Taraiya, Chhapra, and Amanour.

In Bhojpur, among the seven seats, the CPI (ML) won Tarari and Agiaon, whereas the RJD took Sandesh, Jagdishpur, and Shahpur. The BJP won Arrah and Barhara.

In the last election, the grand alliance faced challenges in six seats in Gopalganj, managing to win only two – Bankuthpur and Hathua. The JD (U) won Kuchaikote and Bhore, while the BJP secured victories in Barauli and Gopalganj.

Among the 31 seats across four districts, there were close contests in Siwan, Barharia, and Maharajganj within Siwan district, as well as in Bhore in Gopalganj, Amanour in Saran district, and Arrah and Barhara in Bhojpur. RJD's Awadh Bihari Chaudhary won the Siwan seat by a margin of 1,973 votes, RJD's Bachcha Pandey won Barharia by 3,559 votes, and Congress's Vijay Shankar Dubey won Maharajganj by 1,976 votes. The BJP's Krishna Kumar won the Amanour seat by 1,976 votes. In Bhojpur district, BJP's Raghavendra Pratap Singh won Barhara by 4,973 votes, and Amarendra Pratap Singh won Arrah by 3,002 votes.

Members of the Bansuri Jeevika Group in Gopalganj. Photo: Manoj Singh.

By-elections were also held in Agiaon and Tarari in Bhojpur district. The CPI (ML) successfully retained the Agiaon seat, but their candidate lost the Tarari seat to BJP's Vishal Prashant. The need for the Tarari election arose due to the election of former MLA Sudama Prasad as MP from Ara, while the Agiaon seat fell vacant following the conviction of CPI (ML) MLA Manoj Manzil in a case.

In the Bhore assembly constituency, JD(U) candidate Sunil Kumar won narrowly by 462 votes over CPI (ML) candidate Jitendra Paswan.

Among the 31 seats, Siwan, Raghunathpur, Bhore, Kuchaikote, Chhapra, and Arrah are counted among the most speculated. In Siwan, former assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary is running against health minister Mangal Pandey. Meanwhile, in Bhore, education minister and JD(U) candidate Sunil Kumar faces a challenge from former JNU Students' Union President Dhananjay Kumar. In Kuchaikote, the long-standing strongman Amarendra Kumar Pandey, who has secured victories for 20 consecutive years, is up against Congress candidate Harinarayan Singh Kushwaha. Former IAS officer Vijay Kumar Choubey is contesting from the Jan Swaraj Party for the same seat.

In Raghunathpur, Osama Shahab, the son of Shahabuddin, a former multiple-term MP from the RJD, is in the fray. The sitting MLA from RJD, Harishankar Yadav, has voluntarily vacated the seat for him. The JD(U) has fielded a fresh face, Vikas Kumar Singh.

In Siwan, against RJD candidate Awadh Bihari Choudhary, who previously served as the Speaker of the legislative assembly, the BJP has nominated health minister Mangal Pandey, who is facing an uphill battle, replacing Om Prakash Yadav, who contested the last election. As was the case in the previous election, the public anticipates a closely contested race, with predictions of a narrow margin of victory.

The NDA has made changes to its candidates for the Jiradei and Darauli seats as well. Bhishma Kushwaha is representing the JD(U) in Jiradei, while Vishnu Dev Paswan is the candidate for the Lok Jan Shakti Party in Darauli.

Pramod Kumar Mall, who was affiliated with the Hindu Yuva Vahini during his time in Gorakhpur and maintained a close relationship with UP chief minister Adityanath, is contesting from the BSP in Jiradei.

A security official keeps vigil as voters wait in queues to cast votes at a polling station during the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, in Patna, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Photo: PTI.

The CPI(ML) maintains a significant influence over both of these constituencies. It has a notable presence among the most disadvantaged castes in these areas. Amarjeet Kushwaha secured victory in the previous election from Jiradei while in jail. Inarma Chauhan and Ramagumani from Barka Manjha village, in Mairwa, expressed that the CPI (ML) has a comprehensive advantage in their locality.

In this context, Ramesh Kushwaha, the husband of Siwan MP Vijay Laxmi and former MLA, is supporting the JDU candidate with all his might.

Bhojpuri actor-singer Khesari Yadav is running for election from Chhapra on an RJD ticket, with numerous Bhojpuri artists campaigning on his behalf. Bhojpuri actor-MP Ravi Kishan, along with Bhojpuri actor-singer Pawan Singh, who is advocating for the BJP, and former MP Dinesh Yadav Nirahua, have vocally criticised Khesari Yadav for his candidacy on the RJD ticket, to which Khesari Yadav has responded assertively. The war of words during the election campaign among actors and singers from the Bhojpuri industry are being widely circulated in videos and reels.

Amarendra Pandey, who has won every election in Kuchaikote since 2005, is known for his strongman image. His affidavit reveals 14 criminal cases filed against him. The last election was a three-way contest. Kali Prasad Pandey represented the Congress party, competing against Sunita Devi, a candidate from Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party. Sunita Devi garnered 33,533 votes. Political observers of the region believe that had the votes not been split, Amarendra Pandey would have faced significant challenges.

This time, Harinarayan Singh Kushwaha, Sunita Devi's brother-in-law (the elder brother of her husband), is running as a candidate for the Congress party. Sunita Devi is actively campaigning on his behalf. Her husband, Ramashraay Singh Kushwaha, was murdered. He was a well-known leader within the Koeri community.

The assembly constituencies of Bhore and Kuchaikote have a sizeable population of the Koeri community. In both areas, it seems that members of this community are leaning towards the Grand Alliance. However, Amarendra Kumar Pandey has a strong influence in the area. A tea vendor in Kuchaikote remarked, "Only Baba has the upper hand."

The Congress party has nominated Om Prakash Garg as its candidate for the Gopalganj seat. Former MP Aniruddh Prasad Yadav, also known as Sadhu Yadav, has fielded his wife, Indira Yadav, as a candidate on a BSP ticket. In the previous election, Aniruddh Yadav contested on a BSP ticket and secured second place with 41,039 votes, pushing the Congress candidate Asif Gafur to third place.

In the Bhojpur district, specifically in Sandesh and Barhara, the RJD is facing challenges from rebels. In Barhara, Saroj Yadav, who finished in second place last time, has rebelled after being denied a ticket. The RJD has awarded the ticket to sand trader Ashok Kumar Singh. Suryabhan Singh, running as an independent, is swaying BJP votes.

Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor during a roadshow ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, in Sandesh, Bhojpur district of Bihar, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Photo: PTI.

In Sandesh, the JD(U) has nominated Radha Charan Shah, while the RJD, under the leadership of former MLA Arun Yadav, has successfully secured a ticket for his son, Deepu Singh. In the last election, Arun Yadav's wife, Kiran Devi, emerged victorious.

In comparison to the previous election, the number of candidates has diminished in every constituency with a few exceptions. Previously, there were 92 candidates across the six assembly constituencies in Gopalganj, whereas there are only 46 this time. In Siwan's eight seats, 76 candidates are contesting, compared to 11 in the last election. In Saran district, the number of candidates has dropped from 144 in the last election for 10 seats to just 108 this time. Similarly, in Bhojpur's seven seats, there are 73 candidates contesting, down from 98 previously.

As a result, it is anticipated that vote fragmentation will be lessened in most constituencies. During the last election, candidates from the Lok Janshakti Party garnered substantial votes in numerous seats. This time, however, the LJP is aligned with the NDA coalition. Prashant Kishore's Jan Swaraj Party is actively campaigning for its candidates in this election, but they do not seem to be establishing a third force except in a limited number of seats. The electoral contest has increasingly narrowed down to a rivalry between the two alliances. Voters are now prioritising the party over the candidate. 

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