For Arrah Lok Sabha seat, candidates have filed their
nominations. The key contest is between JDU, CPIML, RJD and BJP. Since 1952
till date, BJP has had no electoral presence in the history of the
constituency. The core question is: Will history change?
Raju Yadav of CPI ML Liberation with election symbol Flag
with Three Stars, filed his nomination on March 25, 2014. He is a youth leader
of repute with years of political work at the grass root level. The possibility
of his victory because of a committed cadre and division of votes among rival
candidates is most talked about topic in the villages. In 2009 elections, CPI
(ML) (L) had got 115966 votes. In 1989, Rameshwar Prasad became their MP from
this constituency in what was then called Indian People's Front. Dipankar Bhattachrya,
the General Secretary of CPI ML has been campaigning rigorously along with the
candidate in the district with minimal resources. He was in Saraiya Bazar and
Jamalpur to address election public meetings on March 31. Their local leader
Budhram Paswan was killed on March 23 when they were commemorating
Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom day. Paswan was Charpokhri Block
secretary and a member of the Bhojpur District Committee. Another respected
teacher Akbar Khan of Piro was also killed.
The sitting MP from Arrah, Meena Singh of Janta Dal United
(JDU) filed her nomination on March 26, 2014 with arrow is the election symbol.
She is likely to get votes of poor minorities in a big way. In 2009 elections, she got 212726 votes. JDU
decided to stick with her although RJD MLA from Barhara and a former minister,
Raghvendra Pratap Singh ditched RJD and joined JDU hoping to get Lok Sabha
ticket. If her voters do not leave her, she has a bright chance. The real
contest for the same vote share will be between CPIML Liberation and JDU.
But with the likely rally of Narendra Modi in Arrah on April
10, the chances of Raj Kumar Singh of BJP might emerge brighter. He filed his
nomination on March 24, 2014 with lotus as election symbol. He is a former IAS
officer who retired as Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.RSS sources have
revealed that if he wins the election, he is likely to be made the Minister of
State for Home Affairs. One local TV reporter noted that this candidate’s
aristocratic style carries the aura of a bureaucrat, not a people’s
representative. The fact that he is not from the Bhojpuri speaking belt might
act as a liability as well. In a muted way some local BJP leaders who have been
devoted party workers even in times of crisis are critical of dropping
parachute non-party candidates who joined the party for post-retirement
rehabilitation. But all these grievances does not mean they will not vote for
BJP. One local Mukhiya from Koilwar block opined that these misgivings will
evaporate post Modi rally but underlined that a Bhojpuri speaking and down to
earth candidate would have been better.
The caste factor is likely to put both Meena Singh of JDU
and Raj Kumar Singh of BJP at a disadvantage as they will eat into each other’s
vote share.
Dr Surendra Kumar Prasad of Aam Aadmi Party with election
symbol broom filed his nomination of 25 March, 2014. AAP candidate might eat
into the vote share of BJP and JDU.
Sri Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha of Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD)
filed nomination with election symbol hurricane lamp on March 26, 2014. It is
his own reputation of party hopping which will make or mar is fate. RJD has an
electoral alliance for this seat with the Indian National Congress which is
inconsequential in the district since 1984. Being a former State Minister,
Kushwaha of RJD is attempting to put CPILML’s candidate Raju Yadav at a
disadvantage. Kushwaha had deserted CPIML to join RJD, then he deserted RJD and
joined JDU. In this election, he rejoined RJD.
In the assembly election as a JD-U candidate, he was defeated by Dinesh
Kumar Singh of RJD. Dinesh Kumar Singh wanted Lok Sabha ticket from RJD but
Lalu Prasad Yadav preferred Sri Bhagwan Singh.
There is also a speculation doing the rounds in Arrah that
come what may, Yadavs will vote for CPIML who happens to be a Yadav because
they are peeved with RJD for having fielded a Kushwaha candidate. While it is
quite unlikely that RJD will express last minute support for the CPIML
candidate, but between April 10 and April 17, if Lalu Yadav sees a clear sign
of Modi factor at work, he might decide to do back Raju Yadav.
The nomination of Ram Avadhesh Singh of All India Trinamool
Congress with election symbol two leaves which was filed on March 26, 2014 has
been rejected.
Meanwhile, following complaints about Bhojpur DM, Pankaj
Kumar Pal and Bhojpur SP, Satya Veer Singh, they have been transferred. Saravanan M joined as the new DM of Bhojpur with effect from
March 27, 2014. SP (CID, weaker section), Kim has been made the SP of Bhojpur. She has been SP of Patna and Bhagalpur.
The Election Commission has also received complaints about Tauheed Parvez, DSP
(Headquarters), Bhojpur who is all set to be transferred. Alakh Niranjan Pandey, one Booth Level Officer (BLO) has been framed in a
fake police case in Shahpur block of the constituency where BJP has a sitting
MLA. Rajesh Kumar, DSP, Jagdishpur is handling the case. The Chief Electoral Officer, the Election Commission and district
administration and state police chief besides Bihar Human Right Commission have
been apprised of this case.
There are 6.21 crore electors in Bihar out of which 2.90
crore are women. There are 1,660,614 electors in Arrah. Out of which 737,179
are women and 923,435 are men. In 2009 parliamentary elections, Arrah had
1555122 electors. There were 1634 Polling Stations.
The seven assembly constituencies under this
Lok Sabha constituency include Sandesh, Barhara, Arrah, Agiaon, Tarari,
Jagdishpur and Shahpur.
List of the Members of Parliament elected from Arrah Lok
Sabha constituency in the past is as under:
1952: Bali Ram
Bhagat, Indian National Congress
1957: Bali Ram
Bhagat, Indian National Congress
1962: Bali Ram
Bhagat, Indian National Congress
1967: Bali Ram
Bhagat, Indian National Congress
1971: Bali Ram
Bhagat, Indian National Congress
1977: Chandradeo
Prasad Verma, Janata Party
1980: Chandradeo
Prasad Verma, Janata Party (Socialist)
1984: Bali Ram
Bhagat, Indian National Congress
1989: Rameshwar
Prasad, Indian People's Front
1991: Ram Lakhan
Singh Yadav, Janata Dal
1996: Chandradeo
Prasad Verma, Janata Dal
1998: H.P. Singh,
Samata Party
1999: Ram Prasad
Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal
2004: Kanti Singh,
Rashtriya Janata Dal
2009: Meena Singh,
Janata Dal (United)
This list reveals that BJP has never ever been in the
picture in the electoral past of Arrah.
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