Electorally known as ‘Amethi of Bihar’ Nalanda wears many distinctions — the hometown of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, de facto capital of Bihar under Nitish regime, seat of ancient and upcoming international universities and the place of record-breaking production of paddy and potatoes.

However, unlike previous elections the electoral honour of Nitish Kumar is seriously put on test this time in the constituency with the ever-growing NaMo wave that has reached here too.With its caste combination and chemistry Nalanda has always been a stronghold for Nitish up to the extent that even an outsider — George Fernandes — won Parliamentary polls here twice in the name of Kumar. In the last lok Sabha polls in 2009 Kumar had fielded a village Mukhia Kaushalendra Kumar on party ticket and he won with a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes.

like Amethi is for Gandhi family, winning poll from Nalanda is just a formality for Kumar. However, this time, again like Gandhi family in Amethi the battle of ballot in Nalanda too has become a bit tough for Nitish. Both NaMo and AAP have made the contest tough for Kumar on his own home turf.

Significantly, Kumar has reposed his faith in the sitting MP Kaushalendra Kumar while the lJP-BJP has put Satyanand Sharma as an alliance candidate and former State police chief Ashish Ranjan Sinha is in the fray as the Congress-RJD alliance nominee.

The AAP has put Dr Pranav Prakash in the ring —who was brutally beaten up by a group of unknown goons on Sunday evening — and is hospitalised with serious injuries. The AAP leaders, however, later blamed the JD(U) for orchestrating the attack on their candidate. Prakash is quite popular in the constituency, making in-roads in Nitish ‘s Kurmi caste vote-bank.

Though, as far as caste calculus of the constituency is concerned Nalanda appears as a safe and comfortable constituency for Nitish Kumar with almost 19 per cent of Kurmis —Nitish’s caste — and 29 per cent of extremely backward caste —mahadalits — whom Nitish Kumar has been nursing as his electoral base camp who can still vouch for him in the upcoming poll.

Besides, Kumar has also been taking of all the development welfare measures, schemes, programmes for Nalanda labeling it as the de facto capital of Bihar. Kumar reportedly also wanted to shift Patna Airport to Nalanda but somehow it was derailed by some alert Opposition leaders. 

“It is because of Nitish Kumar that today Nalanda has everything — from upcoming international university to an ordnance factory for Sainik School to good roads, grid sub-stations and irrigation canals. Tourism too is being constantly promoted by the CM himself,” said villagers of Harnaut, Darveshpura and Mitwa near Silao. Nitish reportedly took keen interest in making Ghoda Katora, near Rajgir as an international tourist destination in the district.

Of late, the village Darveshpura of Nalanda hogged the headlines for producing record-breaking paddy and potatoes. Villager Sumant Kumar even received President’s award for producing 224 quintals of paddy per hectare. Similarly, the farmers of Darveshpura, 30 kms west of historical place Rajgir, even created world record with potato production.

Nitish Kumar has brought every development index to the village from good road to bridges over River Sakri, a public health centre, a high school, electricity for over 18 hours and irrigation canal to irrigate the farmlands.

But, the villagers this time are divided over their vote choice. “Though we like Nitish Kumar and his work being done for us here but this time we’ll vote for Narendra Modi and not to a candidate. The country needs a strong leader like Narendra Modi to fix all the ills the country faces today”, said Sanjay Kumar of Darveshpura.

He further said that its not only his voice and choice but almost 11 per cent of upper caste Bhumihars and others too think alike. Dilip Kumar of Giriyak too nodded and chanted NaMo NaMo when confronted with the choice of his vote. “Yes, we all will vote for Narendra Modi as we’re fed up with all the Central leadership of Congress party for the last ten years”, said he.

But will they not vote for Nitish Kumar and all his development works being done in the constituencyIJ

“We’ve been voting for him for the last many years but this time we want a change. If its been assembly elections we’d have given a second thought but not this time when Modi is roaring to be the PM”, said Naval Sharma of Gorawan village. He also added that even a section of Kurmi caste people too would vote for Narendra Modi this time irrespective of their electoral loyalty to their leader Nitish Kumar.

However, the core voters of Nitish Kumar of Kurmi and EBC caste still appeared solidly behind him for one reason or another. “Though, his candidate Kaushalendra Kumar has not done anything for the constituency but what face we will show to Nitish Kumar if his party candidate loses poll from here”, said Satish Kumar of Harnaut.

Ironically, Nitish Kumar was shown black flags and protest placards when he was addressing a public rally at Harnaut on Monday. Earlier, too he has been greeted with slippers, stones and black flags at his public rallies in Nalanda.

“Despite all this, if Nitish Kumar’s candidate loses election from Nalanda it would mean his party will be bold out on zero in this lok Sabha poll. It will be like Rahul Gandhi would lose poll from Amethi”, said Siddheshwar Prasad of Biharsharief bazaar.

Meanwhile, there is also a talk reeling in the constituency that to defeat Nitish Kumar on his hometurf the BJP has been covertly supporting the RJD-Congress candidate Ashish Ranjan Sinha instead of Satyanand Sharma who is being considered as the weak candidate among all.

“If BJP had put someone else from its own rank and file here the battle would really have been different and difficult this time for Nitish Kumar”, said a local BJP supporter Purushottamji.

It was when a BJP supporter was killed in the serial blast at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan during NaMo’s rally in October last year the emotion for NaMo was running really high in the constituency, he said. “But, when the party left the seat to lJP under alliance and lJP put Satyanand Sharma as candidate it all fizzled out”, he added.

Nalanda goes to poll on April 17.