Patna: Election campaigns in Bihar have turned quite colourful with candidates resorting to various acts to grab attention of voters. They are rushing to the election office riding buffaloes, bullock carts, push cart or driving bicycles to file nomination papers as the poll dates draw closer and electioneering slowly picks up momentum at the time of COVID-19. Bihar is the first Indian state going to polls at the time of Corona pandemic.
However, a candidate from central Bihar’s Jehanabad district Jayant Kumar has left everyone behind in matter of theatrics. He rushed to the election office carrying a supporter on his shoulder to file nomination papers in the weekend.
There was a virtual scramble among the masses to see him up close when the candidate entered the election office with a local villager sitting on his shoulder and his supporters furiously shouting slogans. “I will fulfil every dream of the masses and always keep them on my shoulder if I get the chance to serve them,” said Jayant, a former army man. He said the masses had not got their due despite electing so many leaders in the past. Jayant has filed nomination from Ghoshi seat in Jehenabad from a just-formed political party.
Bullock cart
Even more interesting scene was witnessed in eastern Bihar’s Munger district where a candidate named Pappu Yadav came by bullock cart to file his nomination papers. Yadav who happened to be the district president of the Samajwadi Party filed his nomination for Jamalpur seat as an Independent candidate as his party announced to support the main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the elections. “The way the country is passing through hard time, the general masses will have to go back to the old mode of transport in future,” Yadav said.
Another candidate Ravindra Kumar took buffalo ride to file his nomination papers for Paliganj seat in Patna while another candidate Surya Vats has been using buffalo to launch campaigns in Jamui district from where he is contesting elections. The candidates said buffaloes are common men’s transport in the rural areas and their move would connect them with the common masses. The reply of Kumar was more interesting. “Our leader Lalu Prasad has claimed he would ride buffalo by holding its horn during his childhood. If he can become the chief minister one day, why can’t I win an election?” he asked. Both are contesting elections as Independent candidates.
Interesting scene was also on display in Kaimur district when former lawmaker Ram Chandra Yadav reached the election office pulling a cart used for carrying goods. In 2005, he was elected to the Bihar assembly on the ticket of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) headed by Miss Mayawati. This time, he has been fielded by a lesser known party after being denied ticket by the mainstream parties. He filed his papers from Bhabua seat.
Rickety bicycle
Yet another candidate Rajendra Prasad rushed to the election office on his rickety bicycle to file his nomination as an Independent candidate from Barbigha seat in Sheikhpura district. “So many lawmakers came and went away but I remained there where I was earlier. I will get my own home and take proper care of my family if I win elections. That’s why I have filed the nomination,” said Prasad who is a tailor by profession.
The three-phase assembly elections in Bihar start from October 28 while counting of votes will take place on November 10. So far, most of the political parties have announced the list of the candidates and campaigning is slowly picking up momentum after initially remaining dull.
In the last 2015 state elections, the three-party Grand Alliance comprising the Rashriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal United (JD-U) and the Congress had emerged victorious, winning 178 seats in the 243-members Bihar assembly while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) put up a disastrous performance despite the Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding record number of election rallies. The NDA was able to win only 58 despite. The RJD is headed by Lalu Prasad and JD-U by Nitish Kumar.
Barely 20 months in power, chief minister Nitish Kumar broke away from the ruling Grand Alliance and formed his new government with the support of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) against which he had got the mandate.
