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Bihar Assembly Elections:  The political unrest in Nepal is causing problems in several border districts of Bihar. Trade between the two sides has nearly stopped, badly affecting the local businesses. Many families living along the India-Nepal border are also facing trouble with grooms and brides often found across the border.

With the Bihar Assembly Elections coming up, some are wondering whether the political unrest in Nepal would affect the way people vote. Local issues, such as trade and family ties with Nepal, may affect voter choices.

Is Nepal’s Unrest A Problem For Bihar’s Elections? Check Here

The poll-bound state shares its northern border with Nepal through West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, and Madhubani. These districts together account for 21 seats, which may now be affected by the Nepal protests.

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Seat Breakdown In 7 Districts:

- West Champaran: Valmikinagar, Ramnagar, and Sikta.

- East Champaran: Raxaul, Narkatiya and Dhaka.

- Sitamarhi: Riga, Bathnaha, Parihar, and Sursand.

- Supaul: Harlakhi, Khajauli, Babu Barhi and Laukha.

- Araria: Nirmali and Chhatapur.

- Kishanganj: Narpatganj, Forbesganj, Sikti.

- Madhubani: Bahadurganj and Thakurganj.

Political Stakes In 2020 Assembly Elections:

Earlier in the 2020 Assembly Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 11 out of these 21 seats. Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United won five seats, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won three seats, CPI-ML and AIMIM won one each. The BJP did not lose any seat in this region.

With border security tightened after the massive violence in Nepal, cross-border movement has been completely halted. Raxaul, which is one of the busiest towns in the East Champaran district, is also feeling the heat of the ongoing political unrest in neighbouring Nepal. Despite the formation of an interim government, the situation remains the same.

Speaking to NDTV, Local trader Ashok Srivastava, who runs a garment shop in Raxaul, said business has been at a standstill for five days. “The shop used to sell items worth around Rs 40,000 but now sales are at a standstill,” he was quoted as saying.

The timing has added to the worry as the festive season would bring in huge sales. “During Durga Puja, sales worth crores used to be made here but now even managing Rs 1000 is difficult,” shopkeepers told NDTV.

Besides trade, the political unrest is also affecting families with ties across the border. Anil Singh, a resident of Motihari, said his brother lives in Nepal. “After the violence, we’re planning to call him back. But more than that, we want the government to provide jobs locally so people don’t have to go far for work,” he said.

Will These Issues Influence Votes?

Despite these challenges, the families living along the India-Nepal border believe that the political unrest in Nepal would not affect voting patterns in the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections.

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“The Bihar government has no role in what happened in Nepal. So the events across the border will have no bearing on selecting the state government,” Srivastava told NDTV.