Ahead of the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jamui on April 4 while Nawada on April 7. PM Modi had launched his election campaign from Jamui in 2019 election too. This shows Modi’s close relations with senior Paswans’ family.
Aurangabad MP Sushil Singh who belongs to Rajput caste has represented the seat for three successive terms by winning elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019 and is considered to be having an edge over his rival RJD candidate. Although Singh is also facing an anti-incumbency factor, Modi’s rallies are likely to nullify it.
RJD candidate is likely to face the heat of Congress workers, especially supporters of former MP Nikhil Kumar, who had raised a banner of revolt against party symbol allotted to RJD candidate much before official announcement of seat-sharing deal.
However, RJD is trying to dent into EBC-OBC votes by giving ticket to Kushwaha instead of any Upper caste Rajput. Aurangabad is known as ‘Chittaurgarh’ of Bihar due to sizable population of Rajputs in the constituency.
Denial of ticket to Nikhil Kumar, son of former Bihar chief minister Satyendra Narayan Sinha, may prove ‘suicidal’ for RJD. Aurangabad has been traditional seat of Congress. RJD has fielded its candidate for the first time in recent past.
Similarly, BJP candidate from Nawada Vivek Thakur, who like Singh also belongs to upper caste, Bhumihar, has an initial edge over RJD candidate Shravan Kushwaha in view of the sizable population of Bhumihars in the constituency. BJP candidate is son of former union health minister and noted physician Dr C P Thakur.
The seat was earlier held by Chandan Kumar (Singh) of LJP. Chandan, a Bhumihar by caste, is the brother of a don-turned politician Surajbhan Singh. In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Vivek Thakur has been fielded by BJP. In 2014, Giriraj Singh (BJP) had won the seat.
In Jamui, Chirag’s brother-in-law Bharti is new to the constituency but since he has the strong backing of the LJP (Ram Vilas) chief, he is expected to romp to victory. Chirag has represented Jamui Lok Sabha constituency twice by winning elections in 2014 and 2019.
