Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is vocal about alleged ‘vote theft.’ In the lead-up to the Bihar elections, the Congress leader is undertaking the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra.’ The third day of the approximately 1300-kilometer-long journey is today, Tuesday. The yatra will be in Nawada. Rahul will address two public meetings there. The political landscape of Nawada district in southern Bihar is under scrutiny, as is the strength of different alliances in the region.
Gandhi initiated the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ on Sunday, in the presence of former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and several other leaders of the ‘INDIA’ alliance, strongly criticizing the Election Commission during the launch. In a public meeting in Gaya on Monday, Rahul warned top officials of the Election Commission, stating that strict action would be taken against the Chief Election Commissioner (Gyanesh Kumar) and election commissioners if the ‘INDIA’ alliance forms a government in the center and in Bihar, citing allegations of ‘vote theft.’
This journey claims to protect votes. Today is the third day of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ and Rahul Gandhi will address 2 public meetings. Through this yatra, the Congress is trying to continuously convey to the people of Bihar that their votes will be protected and those who steal votes will be removed. ‘We will fight and win this battle together with the people.’ During this 16-day journey, Rahul Gandhi will cover a total distance of 1,300 kilometers, passing through 20 districts.
Nawada district, located in the southern region of Bihar, is one of the 38 districts in the state. This district falls under the Magadh division. The boundaries of this district meet with Gaya, Sheikhpura, and Jamui in Bihar, while a significant portion borders Koderma and Giridih of Jharkhand. Considering the Magadh division, it includes 5 districts: Arwal, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Gaya, and Nawada.
The Mahagathbandhan’s dominance in the Magadh division. In this division, there are a total of 26 assembly seats, where the Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, is considered to be in a strong position. In the 2020 assembly elections, the Mahagathbandhan won 20 out of the 26 seats. The NDA, led by the Janata Dal United, did very poorly in Bihar, managing to secure only 6 seats. The performance of the Mahagathbandhan in Nawada district, through which Rahul Gandhi’s yatra is passing today, was very impressive.
Nawada, included among the most backward districts in the country, saw the Mahagathbandhan win 4 out of 5 assembly seats, while the NDA won only one seat. The NDA won from one seat (Warsaliganj), where BJP candidate Aruna Devi was victorious. The remaining four seats, namely, Rajauli, Hisua, Nawada, and Gobindpur, went to the Mahagathbandhan. The RJD won 3 out of 4 seats from the Mahagathbandhan.
Nawada’s connection with Sri Krishna Sinha. This is the same Nawada district that was once a stronghold of the Congress. During the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ Rahul Gandhi will pay tribute to Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Sri Krishna Sinha, at the Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha Chowk in Barbigha of Sheikhpura district in the evening and will address a public meeting there. Sri Krishna Sinha was born in Khanwa, Nawada district. He was a great freedom fighter. After independence, he became the first Chief Minister of Bihar. And he remained in office until his death in 1961. He was also called Bihar Kesari and Sri Babu.
He belongs to the powerful Bhumihar community of Bihar (2.86% in the state). While Rahul is keeping an eye on the Dalit and Muslim communities, he is also working on a strategy to keep Bhumihar voters with him. In the last election, the Congress got one seat in Nawada district, while its ally RJD got 4 seats. The Mahagathbandhan wants to maintain its previous performance. In such a situation, its efforts will be to maintain its previous performance through the yatra in this district while sweeping the Magadh division.
