Patna: The voting for the Tirhut Graduate MLC by-election in Bihar was underway as voters were steadily queuing up outside polling stations on Thursday.
It has garnered significant attention as the seat, which became vacant after Devesh Chandra Thakur’s election to the Lok Sabha from Sitamarhi, is witnessing a triangular contest involving the JD(U), RJD, and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party.
JD(U) has fielded Abhishek Jha, an upper caste from this seat which has been winning the constituency for 22 years.
During his campaign, he focused on employment for graduates, timely university sessions, postgraduate studies, and improving access to education loans.
He has accused Prashant Kishor of contradicting his own anti-dynasty stance by fielding a candidate from a political family.
Gopi Kishan is the RJD candidate for this seat. He belongs to the Vaishya community and focused his campaign on representing students and addressing their concerns, providing employment opportunities, and bridging communication between the government and the student community.
Dr Vinayak Gautam is testing his luck on the ticket of the Jan Suraj Party in this bypoll. He represents the Bhumihar community and comes from a prominent political family, being the son of former MLC Ramkumar Singh and grandson of former Minister Raghunath Pandey. He is leveraging his family’s influence and experience, with an aim to appeal to the strong Bhumihar voter base in the region.
Tirhut has historically favoured the NDA, with all seven MPs from the region belonging to the alliance. Devesh Chandra Thakur, the previous MLC, served for over two decades and worked closely with Nitish Kumar, bolstering the party’s influence.
Prashant Kishor’s entry into the fray with a well-known candidate has added intrigue to the contest, potentially splitting the vote base of traditional parties.
Both JD(U) and RJD candidates have highlighted the need to provide jobs to unemployed graduates.
Ensuring timely university sessions and facilitating postgraduate studies are common promises. Gopi Kishan has particularly emphasized giving students a voice at the policy-making level.
JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha has vowed to improve the loan process for higher studies.
Tirhut graduate MLC constituency has 1,58,828 voters, with 1,07,401 male and 47,419 female voters.
The constituency spans four districts such as Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, and Sheohar, making it a diverse and challenging electoral landscape.
The counting of votes will be held on December 9.
(IANS)
