By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Among the four assembly seats in Bihar where by-elections are being held, Imamganj stands out due to its status as a reserved seat. Jitan Ram Manjhi, who has served as an MLA from Imamganj twice, is now a Member of Parliament and a cabinet minister in the Modi government. Following his resignation, the political responsibility for Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on this vacant seat now rests on the shoulders of Deepa Manjhi, the wife of his son Santosh Manjhi, as she has been chosen as the party’s candidate.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has adopted a strategic approach in this election. Roshan Manjhi, a prominent leader from the Manjhi caste, has been selected as their candidate. Interestingly, former Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary, who was defeated by Jitan Ram Manjhi in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections, has been denied a ticket this time as the party shifts its strategy.
Meanwhile, the Jan Suraaj Party has fielded Dr Jitendra Paswan, a rural doctor, as its candidate in Imamganj. Dr Paswan, who has been providing medical services to impoverished rural communities since the age of 24, gained recognition for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Manjhi caste plays a decisive role in the Imamganj election. With approximately 70,000 Manjhi voters, they form the largest voter base in the constituency. Lalu Prasad Yadav, leader of the RJD, aims to make inroads into the Manjhi vote bank to secure the seat.
Lalu Yadav’s traditional vote bank, known as the “MY equation” (Muslim-Yadav), is also a key factor in Imamganj. The constituency has around 24,000 Yadav voters and over 28,000 Muslim voters. Additionally, the RJD is eyeing the 17,000 Chamar votes. Should Roshan Manjhi succeed in swaying the Manjhi vote bank, the election could become highly competitive.
The Paswan vote bank, comprising around 18,000 voters, is also significant. Prashant Kishor’s party has put forward Jitendra Paswan to capture this community’s votes. However, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) state president, Raju Tiwari, asserts that the Paswan voters are aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate.
Imamganj has a total of 310,448 voters, with the largest group being Manjhi or Musahar voters. The constituency’s diverse voter demographics also include Dangi (40,000), Yadav (24,000), Paswan (18,000), Chamar (17,000), Muslim (28,000), and various other castes.
Dr Sanjay Kumar, a political analyst from Bihar, explains that the outcome of the Imamganj seat will have significant implications for the Dalit vote bank. Whichever party wins will claim the support of the Dalit community. Jitan Ram Manjhi faces the challenge of maintaining his political prestige, while the RJD is eager to reclaim the seat after a long hiatus. Prashant Kishor, on the other hand, is optimistic about gaining support across castes and religions. Given these dynamics, the Imamganj seat holds great importance for all political parties.
