• Source:JND
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With the announcement of poll bugle, the political activity in Bihar is rife. The Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) is trying to make inroads into Bihar to reclaim the power that was lost in2005. To make sure of it, Tejashwi is most likely to contest the upcoming assembly elections from two constituencies.

According to a report by Jagran.com, Tejashwi is likely to contest from Raghipur and Phulparas, a constituency represented by 11th Bihar CM Karpuri Thakur between 1977 and 1980.

There are also speculations that Tejashwi may contest from the Bisfi assembly seat in the Madhubani district along with Raghopur. However, chances for the same are less.

Why Phulparas?

For Phulparas, Tejashwi's strategy may involve focusing on the Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) along with the tried and tested MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination.

For this, RJD's new state president, Mangnilal Mandal, is likely to play a key role. At present, the constituency is held by JDU MLA Sheela Mandal, who, like Mangnilal, belongs to the Dhanuk community.

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However, the deeply entrenched caste politics crops up factors within the Dhanuk community that can affect the polls. The Dhanuk community itself has two factions, Magahiya and Chiraud.

Sheela Manjal hails from Magahiya, while Mangani Lal is from Chiraud. Consequently, there will be a concerted effort to break into the extremely backward community in Phulparas.

Tejashwi eyeing Mithila with Phulparas

If Tejashwi presses his claim to contest the seat, his ally Congress will have to abandon its claim to Phulparas. Tejashwi's Phulparas campaign is not only being speculated within the RJD but also Congress and their rival JDU.

Tejashwi Yadav has long maintained that strengthening the RJD in the Mithila region can help them move closer to power. Of the 25 seats from Supaul to Darbhanga, the RJD holds only three: Laukaha, Madhubani, and Manigachhi.

Political experts believe that if Tejashwi Yadav contests the election from Phulparas, it will have an impact on seats as far as Darbhanga and Supaul.

Past Yadav dominance

Yadav candidates have consistently dominated the Phulparas assembly constituency. From 1990 to 2015, only Yadav candidates won this seat. Devnath Yadav won three times, and his wife Gulzar Devi won twice.

ALSO READ: Bihar Elections: Will Tejashwi Yadav Contest On Two Seats As RJD, Congress Vie For Phulparas Constituency?

Ram Kumar Yadav won twice. Yadav candidates have also helped the Samajwadi Party win twice, in addition to the Congress and JDU. The RJD fielded Bharat Bhushan Mandal and Virendra Chaudhary once, but they both lost.

What happened in 2020?

In 2020, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) fielded a Brahmin candidate, Kripanath Pathak, on the Congress ticket and lost to the extremely backward candidate, Sheela Mandal.

Sheila Mandal secured a place in the cabinet with her first victory and served as a minister for five years. The constituency also has a significant number of Backward Class, Muslim, and Brahmin voters. It's worth noting that Devendra Prasad Yadav vacated the seat in the 1977 by-election, and 'Jannayak' Karpuri Thakur won while serving as Chief Minister. Since then, this seat has been seen as the karmabhoomi of the 'leader of the people'.