Fourth Phase of Bihar Elections: Some Interesting Facts

Elections in the penultimate round of the five-phase Bihar assembly elections will take place for 55 seats in seven districts of North Bihar – East Champaran, West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Gopalganj, Siwan, and Sheohar – on 1 November. Out of 55 constituencies, 12 are affected by Maoist insurgency.

The fourth phase is crucial for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the BJP as they are contesting on maximum seats for their respective alliances – the Grand Alliance or the Mahagathbandhan, and the National Democratic Alliance – in this crucial phase. While the BJP is contesting on 42 of the 55 seats, the RJD is contesting 26 seats.

What is significant is that the RJD has got the lion’s share in seats in the region even when its alliance partner, the Janata Dal – United, had won 25 seats in the 2010 Assembly elections in the region. However, at that time, the JD(U) was in alliance with the BJP which had then won 26 seats. The BJP-JD(U) combine had collectively won an impressive 51 seats from the region.

The RJD would need the support of the Other Backward Classes, Dalits, and Muslims to counter the Upper Caste factor, the Paswan-Kushwaha and Manjhi (Dalit-Mahadalit) factor and the Extremely Backward Castes (EBC) factor in this round of polls. (http://www.elections.in/blog/summary-of-bihar-phase-3-election/)

Obviously, stakes are much higher for the BJP in the region where it had performed well in 2010. In a ditch attempt to consolidate Hindu votes, the BJP President Amit Shah, who has been camping in Bihar for nearly a month, even went on to make a controversial comment that if the BJP loses then Pakistan will celebrate Diwali.

All top guns from every political party in the fray – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi or the local satraps such as RJD supremo Lalu Yadav and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (JDU) – fired all cylinders as they went on a hectic campaigning schedule to woo the voters. A total of 1,47,39, 120 voters will caste their votes to decide the fate of 776 candidates (719 male and 57 female) in the fray.

Following are some interesting facts about the regions that go to polls during fourth phase on 1 November in Bihar:

Key Issues: Economic development, job quotas and battle against corruption

Results on these 55 seats in 2010

• Janata Dal (United) – 25

• Bharatiya Janata party – 26

• Rashtriya Janata Dal – 1

• Independents – 3

Crorepati candidates in the fourth phase – 220

Average assets of candidates in the fourth phase – Rs.1.24 crore

Total candidates with assets more than Rs 10 crore – 17 (2.19%)

Total candidates with assents between Rs 5 and 10 crore – 26 (3.35%)

Richest and poorest candidates in the fourth phase

• Richest Candidates:

a) Prabhu Narayan, Independent, Dhaka Constituency in East Champaran district – Assets worth over Rs. 22.93 crore

b) Angesh Kumar, Independent, Belsand Consitituency in Sitamarhi district – Assets worth over Rs. 21.22 crore

c) Rajendra Prasad Gupta, BJP, Kesariya Constituency in East Champaran district – Assets worth over Rs. 20.41 crore

• Poorest Candidates:

a) Raja Kumar, Bharat Nirman Party, Kurhani Constituency in Muzaffarpur district – Total assets worth Rs. 2000

b) Farookh Khan, Bhartiya New Sanskar Krantikari Party, Hathua Constituency in Gopalganj district – Total assets worth Rs. 6000

c) Devendra Jha, Independent, Bajpatti Assembly Constituency in Sitamarhi District – Total assets worth Rs. 6,346

While 269 of the 776 (35%) candidates in the fourth phase of Bihar elections have not provided PAN details in their declaration form, 470 (61%) candidates have not declared their Income Tax details. It includes 63 candidates with income of above Rs. 1 crore.

Age groups of candidates in the fourth phase

• Number of candidates between 25-50 age group – 578 (74%)

• Number of candidates between 51-80 age group – 191 (25%)

• Seven candidates have not declared their age details

Educational Qualification of Candidates in the Fourth Phase

• Graduate and above – 286 (37%)

  • Doctorate – 12

  • Post Graduates – 76

  • Graduates with professional degrees – 62

  • Graduates – 136

  • Between 5^th pass and 12^th pass – 380 (49%)

  • Simple Literates – 102

  • Illiterate – 1

There are 253 of 776 (33%) candidates in the fourth phase who have criminal records.

Riga constituency has the highest number of candidates (9) with criminal records.

48 out of 55 (87% of ) constituencies fall under red-alert zone with three or more candidates with criminal records.

Candidates facing serious criminal cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women, causing communal disharmony, etc. – 201(26%)

Number of candidates facing murder charges – 16

Candidates with highest number of murder charges

• Amit Kumar, an Independent candidate from Sursand constituency against him. He also faces 7 charges related to attempt to murder.

• Birendra Prasad Gupta of the CPI(ML)(L) from Sikta constituency faces 3 charges of murder against him.

• Om Prakash Chaudhary of the RJD from Sugauli constituency and Independent candidate from Baikunthpur constituency, Gorakh Yadav face 2 murder case each. The latter also faces four cases of attempt to murder, 3 cases of making preparation to commit dacoity, 3 charges related to assembling for purpose of committing dacoity, as well as 2 charges related to kidnapping for ransom, etc., 1 charge related kidnapping or abducting in order to murder and one offence related to kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person.

Number of candidates facing attempt to murder charges – 60

Number of candidates with records of crime against women – 13

Candidates facing charges of causing communal disharmony – 2

Candidates with charges of robbery and dacoity – 14

Candidates with charges of kidnapping – 10

Party-wise percentage of candidates with criminal record

Constituency to watch out for in the fourth phase:

Bochaha (SC)

From Bochaha, senior ministerial colleague of chief minister Nitish Kumar – Ramai Ram – is seeking to win for the ninth time.

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