PATNA: The counting of votes of by-election for the Bochahan assembly seat in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district started at 8 am amid tight security arrangements on Saturday. The election was held on April 12.
The by-poll necessitated the demise of sitting Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) MLA Musafir Paswan, who was elected from the seat in the 243-member state assembly election in 2020. He died in November 2021 due of illness.
The stake for the seat is very high despite the fact that it would not affect the prospects of the ruling NDA in the state. However, it has become a prestige issue both for the ruling dispensation and the opposition parties. While NDA (read BJP) fielded Beby Kumari, RJD offered a ticket to Amar Paswan, son of Musafir Paswan. Geeta Kumari, daughter of former minister Ramai Ram, is contesting on the ticket of Vikassheel Insaan Party.
Congress is also in the fray. It has fielded Tarun Choudhary. However, the main contest is between Beby Kumari of NDA, Amar Paswan of RJD, and Geeta Kumari of VIP. The leaders of respective parties had campaigned in favour of respective candidates.
A total of 2,90,995 electors, including 1,55,545 men and 1,37,597 women and four third genders, will decide the fate of 13 contestants in the fray. Ahead of the results, BJP state chief Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal said, “We have done our job honestly. Let the people's mandate come.” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union ministers—Nityanand Rai and Giriraj Singh had addressed a public meeting for NDA candidates.
On the other hand, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari claimed that the results of the by-election to Bochahan assembly seat would set a new trend in the state. “Votes cutting across party affiliations favoured the RJD candidate,” he asserted.
VIP spokesperson Dev Jyoti also claimed of Geeta Kumari's victory. “We have votes in all sections of society. That will benefit the VIP candidate, whose father had represented the seat eight times in the past,” he added.
The NDA (read BJP) left no stone unturned to woo the electorate. Party's MLAs and ministers were camping in each panchayat of the constituency. VIP chief Mukesh Sahani was sacked from the Nitish Kumar cabinet ahead of the
by-election.