Bihar election 2020: Cut-throat contest between BJP, RJD on cards in Shahpur

One of Bihar’s 71 assembly constituencies that will go to polls in the first phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections on October 28 is Shahpur seat in the Bhojpur district. Although the battle for this seat rests primarily between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), what makes this contest a keen one to watch is the bickering between two members of the same family.

Shahpur, presently, is held by the RJD. Party’s sitting MLA Rahul Tiwari will be locking horns with his predecessor and two-time former BJP MLA Munni Devi who had clinched the electoral majority during the 2005 and 2010 assembly polls.

During the last election, Tiwari defeated Devi’s brother-in-law and former BJP state vice president Visheshwar Ojha by a margin of around 15,000 votes. The following year, Ojha was killed in what is described as a gang war. This election season, Ojha’s widow and Devi’s sister-in-law Shobha Devi is also in the fray but as an independent candidate. Previously, Shobha had unsuccessfully contested on a JD(U) ticket in 2005.

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Although Shobha Devi’s addition to this year’s fight makes the contest interesting, for nearly two decades, the constituency has seen the power rotate between the RJD and the BJP.

While Munni Devi will be trying hard to repeat her success of 2005 and 2010 assembly polls, Tiwari’s task would be to thwart the anti-incumbency and secure another term. Shobha Devi’s rebellion against the BJP (after her husband’s demise) and her contest against sister-in-law Munni Devi will also be worth watching.

As part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front (GDSF), Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party’s Ved Prakash is also in the race.

Shahpur’s electoral population is around over 2 lakh. During the last assembly polls, nearly 50 per cent of voter turnout was recorded. With around 69,000 votes, RJD’s Rahul Tiwari bagged nearly 48 per cent of the total vote share in 2015, followed by BJP’s Visheshwar Ojha who finished second with nearly 54,000 votes (37 per cent of the total vote share).

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Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD and chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) fought the last elections in an alliance, however, Kumar later severed ties with the RJD to join the NDA. The RJD had bagged 80 of total 243 seats in 2015, with Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) finishing second with 71 seats. The BJP secured 53 seats while the Congress could win 27.

This time around, the BJP and the JD(U) are partners while the Congress has joined hands with the RJD and three other Left parties as part of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan). Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has opted to take the independent road. The GDSF is an alternative front comprising Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, RLSP and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.

Bihar will go to polls in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 respectively. Counting of votes will take place on November 10.

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