In Bihar’s Dhamdaha constituency of Purnea, a triangular contest is shaping up among JD(U)’s Leshi Singh, RJD’s Santosh Kushwaha, Jan Suraaj’s Rakesh Kumar. Development is a key talking point as unemployment and corruption dominate public concerns.
Purnea: With just a day remaining before the election campaign concludes across the remaining 122 assembly constituencies, political parties are making their final push, crisscrossing Bihar and engaging directly with voters on the ground. Asianet Newsable English visited Purnea district, considered a stronghold of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), to gauge the mood of the electorate.
About 51 km from Purnea district headquarters lies Dhamdaha, the hometown of former Bihar Chief Minister Late Bhola Paswan Shastri.
The constituency is witnessing a direct contest between sitting minister and JD(U) leader Leshi Singh and former JD(U) MP Santosh Kushwaha, who is now contesting on an RJD ticket.
Kushwaha, just before the announcement of the election, joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). In 2024, he lost to Independent Pappu Yadav in the Lok Sabha election.
The triangular contest
Leshi Singh, a Rajput, is a 5-time member of the Bihar legislative assembly and trying her luck for the sixth time.
As a first timer, Jan Suraaj has fielded Rakesh Kumar alias Banti Yadav and making the ‘Battle for Dhamdaha’ a triangular contest.
Gautam Kumar, a local politician, said this time the fight is based on development and social equation.
In Bhola Paswan Shastri’s Bairgachi village, the electors are satisfied with the developmental works carried out by the Nitish Kumar government and wanted to repeat the candidate.
However, some of them want to change the government. A RJD supporter, Pawan Yadav said: “It’s true that development has been done in our area. But the bigger issue is rampant corruption and unemployment. I don’t think this government would be able to do any justice with the unemployed youths.”
Randhir Koeiri, who hails from Kushwaha community, a traditional voter of the JDU said: “We are changing side this time. We will support Santosh Kushwaha as he is our pride.”
On prevailing unemployment in his constituency, Randhir said: “You just go to any villages you will find the young boys playing cards. They have no jobs. They are just passing their times either by playing cards or watching reels.”
“Reels are a new age disease. Once you get addicted it’s very tough or next to impossible to get rid of it,” Randhir’s friend Vivek Jha said, who is a Brahmin.
Praise for PM Modi
Rahul Gupta, a businessman, said: “We are very thankful to the Narendra Modi government because the Purnea airport is now fully operational.”
From NDA, Nitish Kumar and former Jharkhand chief minister Babul Lal Marandi have held public meetings to galvanise voters for Leshi Singh. Tejashvi Yadav from RJD has campaigned for Santosh Kushwaha.
The Dhamdaha constituency has a total of 3.01 lakh electors, of which 70,000 are Muslims, 35,000 Yadavs, 40,000 scheduled castes and tribes, 20,000 Kushwahas, 10,000 Brahmins and 5,000 Rajputs.
In 2020, Leshi Singh defeated RJD’s Dilip Yadav by over 33,000 votes.
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