MOTIHARI: The 12 constituencies in
East Champaran district will see highest number of candidates in its history – 159 – locking horns against each other. Polling will be held for six assembly constituencies in the second phase on November 3 and the rest of the six seats will go to polls in the third phase on November 7. Eleven outgoing MLAs, nine former MLAs, two ministers, four former ministers and only five women candidates are among others in fray. The six seats going to polls in the second phase are as follows:
KESARIYA: Famous for largest Buddha stupa and a CPI citadel in the past, there are 17 candidates in fray in Kesariya. JD(U)’s Shalini Mishra is pitted against RJD’s Santosh Kushawaha. Both are debutants. Shalini Mishra is daughter of CPI leader Kamala Mishra Madhukar. Dr Rajesh Kushawaha, the sitting RJD MLA, was denied ticket this time. Maheshwar Singh, former MLA and JD(U) leader and Ram Sharan Yadav, a BJP leader, were also aspirants for NDA ticket. These netas may play spoilsport to the poll prospects of the NDA nominee, say observers.
HARSIDHI (SC): Altogether seven candidates are in the fray in Harsidhi. BJP candidate Krishnandan Paswan is locked in a direct contest with RJD’s Nagendra Ram. Krishnandan was defeated by RJD’s Rajendra Ram in 2015 assembly polls. However, Rajendra failed to get RJD ticket this time.
GOBINDGANJ: Areraj, the headquarters of Gobindganj, is a famous religious place as the Someshwarnath Mahadeo temple here is the second old temple of Bihar after Mundeshwari Devi temple. There are 11 candidates are in fray in the constituency. Gobindganj was a stronghold of Congress in the past. The Congress has fielded Brajesh Pandey this time against BJP’s Sunilmani Tiwari. Raju Tiwari, the sitting MLA of Gobindganj, is also in fray as LJP candidate.
KALYANPUR: BJP’s two-time MLA Sachindra Prasad Singh is pitted against Manoj Kumar Yadav of RJD here. Badru Jamma, a BSP candidate, may dent the RJD votes. Manoj had contested from this seat unsuccessfully two times in the past.
PIPRA: Pipra assembly constituency lies on both sides of NH-28 between Pipra Kothi and Mehasi. Altogether 15 candidates are in fray here. Sitting BJP MLA Shyambabu Yadav is locked in a direct contest with CPM’s Raj Mangal Prasad. Awadhesh Kushawaha, an ex-JD(U) MLA and former minister, is contesting as independent.
Subhash Kushawaha of
RLSP is trying to make it a four-cornered contest in the seat.
MADHUBAN: Battle lines has been drawn in Madhuban constituency where minister Rana Randhir Singh, a BJP candidate, is locked in a direct contest with RJD’s Madan Sah, a greenhorn. Sheoji Rai, former MLA and JAP-L candidate, is making his presence felt. This constituency has a dominant presence of Baniyas. Hence, RJD has fielded Madan Sah as its candidate.