PATNA: The NH-22 runs in a straight line from Gaya to Bodh Gaya — the twin temple towns revered by Hindus and Buddhists the world over. Though polling is just two days away, no hype involved with the election process is visible here. At a tea shop, Lal Babu Chacha, 59, says, “Gaya will not pardon anyone who speaks against the country”. After a minute of silence, Om Prakash, in his 40s, retorts: “Do we have a choice when a Manjhi is fighting another Manjhi?”.
The Manjhis come from the Musahar caste of rat eaters — the poorest of the poor— and the Mahagathbandhan has fielded HAM chief and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, an erudite Dalit, as their candidate. Bodh Gaya, the UNESCO recognised pilgrimage, has not been sullied by posters or loudspeakers, though buntings proclaim politics everywhere. Close by is Magadh University and RK Sinha, professor of English, says, “All six assembly segments are Maoist hotbeds but Gaya has no issue which resonates. The party, which gets its caste combination right, will win.”
The NDA is leaving no stone unturned to repeat 2014 performance when its candidate Hari Manjhi won. But with Hari denied a ticket and JD(U) fielding Vijay Manjhi, there is rebellion in the BJP ranks.
At Nawada, some 80 km away, the fight is between family members of two strong men who control the sand and minor minerals trade. Chandan Singh, brother of contractor-turned-politician Suraj Bhan Singh, is the LJP nominee against Bibha Devi, wife of a rape case convict RJD leader Raj Ballabh Yadav.
Former CM Rabri Devi and Tejashawi Yadav have campaigned for Bibha, but ultimately, it is the upper caste Bhumihars vs Yadavs in Nawada with the SC and OBC voters tilting the scales. “Might is in the fight. The issue is not development but igniting caste sentiment,” says Vicky Das, 21, who sells cold drinks. Mohammad Ishmael, who runs a bakery near Nawada chowk, says voters are silent but are in a mood to vote for change.
At Aurangabad, known as the Chittorgarh of Bihar, a Maoist boycott call has shaken up the scene. “The candidate with clout will win here,” says Pashupati Pandit, a priest at the ancient Sun Temple in Madanpur. Sushil Kumar Singh is seeking a third term riding on the Modi wave and anticipating caste support. The denial of Congress ticket to former Delhi Police commissioner Nikhil Kumar has increased Sushil’s winnability. His rival is HAM, which draws considerable SC support.
At Jamui, some 200 km away, it’s a neck and neck fight between LJP’s Chirag Paswan and RLSP’s Bhudeo Chaudhary. “No road, no vote,” says a poster at Dabli village. “All roads, which transported candidates to Parliament are in a bad shape,” rues Bharat Mandal of Dabli village, where a poll boycott has been threatened.