On Saturday, Bima Bharti, the Janata Dal United MLA from Rupauli, tendered her resignation from the party’s primary membership. Following her departure, she swiftly aligned herself with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and expressed her willingness to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Purnia, provided her new political affiliation permits.
Asserting confidence in the electorate of Purnia, the former Bihar Minister remarked, “The people of Purnia are prepared to support us. I am prepared to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Purnia if my party so desires.”
In a strategic maneuver, sources indicate that Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti, daughters of former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, are poised to participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Rohini Acharya is anticipated to contest from Saran, while Misa Bharti is likely to vie for the Pataliputra constituency.
Bihar is slated to undergo a comprehensive seven-phase polling process for its 40 Lok Sabha seats. The electoral schedule entails voting on four seats in the initial phase, followed by five seats in each subsequent phase until Phase 5. The final two phases, 6 and 7, will witness elections on eight seats each.
In another strategic realignment, Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav, a former five-time MP from Bihar and spouse of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan, merged his party with the Congress. Renowned for his influence in the Seemanchal region of Bihar, this merger could potentially reshape the political landscape.
Reflecting on the outcomes of the previous Lok Sabha elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)], and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), dominated the 2019 elections by securing victories in 39 out of 40 seats.
In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD, Indian National Congress (INC), and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), could only secure one seat. The BJP emerged victorious with 17 seats and a vote share of 24.1%, followed by JD(U) with 16 seats and a vote share of 22.3%, while LJP secured 6 seats with a vote share of 8%. The INC managed to secure only one seat with a vote share of 7.9%.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged as the dominant force with 22 seats, trailed by LJP with 6 seats, RJD with 4 seats, and INC with only 2 seats. These electoral shifts and realignments underscore the dynamic and evolving political landscape in Bihar.
