The battle for north-eastern constituency in Seemanchal area, Purnea lok Sabha seat, has turned out in a ‘tough and unpredictable’ match between the two major players — the BJP and the JD(U). The Congress curiously is nowhere in the picture despite a sizeable number of minority votes. Interestingly, the most talked about politician is Pappu Yadav who is contesting on Madhepura seat on a RJD ticket.
On Purnea seat, the BJP has renominated Uday Singh, popularly known as Pappu Singh against Santosh Kushwaha of JD(U) and Amarnath Tiwari from Congress. Till last month, Santosh Kushwaha was the BJP MlA from Baisi Assembly constituency of the district but later he changed sides and joined JD(U) becoming party candidate in the lok Sabha poll.
The Congress candidate Amarnath Tiwari was party MlA from Dhamdaha Assembly constituency but is widely considered as a ‘weak and losing candidate’ against both the the BJP and the JD(U) nominees in the fray.
The contest between the BJP and the JD(U) candidates is tough and unpredictable primarily because of three reasons. First, there is strong anti-incumbency factor reeling against BJP sitting MP Uday Singh. Singh is accused of becoming “inaccessible and unapproachable” after winning in the polls. Even the upper caste Rajput voters admit that during his tenure as an MP he remained elusive.
“After winning the poll he vanished and become unapproachable for us. We will not for for him but for the party and its PM candidate Narendra Modi,” said Prabhat Singh of Purnea town. The BJP has over 1.70 lakh BJP cadre vote across caste line in Purnea constituency and they have been traditionally loyal to the party, irrespective of the candidate. The BJP prime ministerial nominee too had visited Purnea recently to address an impressive public rally.
Secondly, since the Congress-RJD alliance has put a very weak candidate, the Muslim and Yadav voters are reluctant to vote for Amarnath Tiwari. Numerically over three lakh Muslims constitute about 21 per cent of the electorate in Purnea lok Sabha constituency and in absence of a strong Congress-RJD candidate who could have confronted Narendra Modi’s advance at the Centre, they have decided to caste their vote in favour of JD(U) candidate.
Mohd Ashraf Ali of Chimni Bazaar village, which has possibly the largest Muslim congregation in Purnea said, “What is the use in wasting our voteIJ We wanted to cast our vote for either Congress or RJD candidate who could have stalled Modi’s advancement at Centre but since they have fielded a candidate who is not going to win the poll, we have decided to vote for the JD(U) candidate”, he said.
The village got the pucca road five years ago in Nitish Government. Similar sentiments reel around Muslims, mostly Kulhaias, who are socially disadvantaged among minorities, dominated villages of Sadkodaria, Bakrikul and Chakla of the constituency.
The third and significant reason for the close contest between the BJP and JD(U) candidates on this seat is popularity of JD(U) candidate and his Kushwaha caste support. There are about 1.70 lakh Kushwaha vote in the constituency and they seemingly rallying behind the JD(U) candidate.
“Besides, he is also getting support from majority of Yadavs and Muslims which makes it a winning combination for him,” said Maheshwar Yadav of Maranga village. Maranga is Yadav dominated village and traditionally been lalu Yadav’s supporters.
When asked about voting for Narendra Modi, a villager said, “No way… we’ve been voting for lalu Yadav and he is our only leader…no else could be but unlike other constituencies here we do not have any choice than to vote for the JD(U) candidate… we don’t have any options.”
Interestingly what struck one while traversing and talking with the voters in Purnea lok Sabha Constituency is the open support for RJD leader and party candidate from Madhepura Pappu Yadav pitted against JD(U) candidate and party president Sharad Yadav. Both the Yadavs and Muslims of the constituency openly root for him.
“Had the Congress-RJD alliance put Pappu Yadav from here he would have won the poll without even campaigning”, said the Muslims of Chimni Bazaar and Yadavs of Maranga in equal voice.
“Pappu Yadav is the real hero here, quite popular and always accessible...if he would have been the candidate from here none could have stopped him from winning the seat”, claimed Mohd Mudassar of Chimni Bazaar. Pappu Yadav recently was exonerated from Patna High court in connection with the murder case of former MlA of Purnea and popular left leader of Purnea, Ajit Sarkar.
But, at the same time, the BJP candidate Uday Singh is also putting all his effort to retain the seat. He has formed Shakti Kendras at every three panchayats with party cadres and local supporters distributing caps, badges, T-shirts and other campaign stuffs even in the villages. “The BJP candidate is better organised, methodical and networked”, said a local journalist Nand Kishore Singh, “but even then it appears hard for him to retain his seats this time”, he added. Uday Singh is brother of former JD(U) MP and ex-bureaucrat NK Singh.