Bihar Elections: Political war in Left bastion, BJP’s eyes on CPI’s hold

Patna, October 22 (IANS). Bakhri (SC) assembly constituency of Begusarai district is again in news amid Bihar elections. Located on the banks of the Gandak River, this area is known for its dense population and agriculture-based economy. With a density of 1,928 people per square kilometre, the area is an important market center for the surrounding towns. Bakhri’s sandy loam soil is fertile for the cultivation of paddy, wheat, maize and pulses, while milk production is an important source of income. Small-scale industries also promote local employment. The constituency is located at a distance of 30 km from Begusarai, 40 km from Khagaria and 60 km from Samastipur, while it is located at a distance of 130 km from the capital Patna. According to the Election Commission data of 2024, the total population of the area is 4,82,993, of which males are 2,51,140 and females are 2,31,853. A total of 2,94,726 names are registered in the electoral roll, of which male voters are 1,54,307 and female voters are 1,40,410, while there are 9 third gender voters. Since this area is reserved for SC, Dalit voters (about 20-25 percent) are of special importance. Flood control, irrigation and employment are major issues in this rural-dominated region (about 85 percent). Flooding from the Gandak River destroys crops every year, leading to increased migration. Politically, Bakhri is a municipal constituency established in 1951, consisting of seven Begusarai Lok Sabha constituencies, Cheriya Bariyarpur, Bachhwara, Teghra, Matihani, Sahebpur Kamal, Begusarai and Bakhri. With the delimitation of 2008, it became SC reserved. The area includes Bakhri, Dandari, Garhpura blocks along with Pasraha (East), Navkothi, Hasanpurbagar, Rajkpur, Vishnupur, Samsa and Dafarpur gram panchayats of Navkothi block. So far, 17 elections have been held here, where left-wing parties have dominated. The Communist Party of India (CPI) won 11 times, including a streak of eight consecutive from 1967 to 1995. The Congress achieved three victories in 1952, 1957 and 1962. In 2000, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) CPI’s winning streak in both the election made a comeback, but in both the election’s winning streak made a comeback. At the same time, in 2010, BJP won for the first time, while RJD was the winner in 2015. In 2020, the Grand Alliance handed over the seat to CPI, whose candidate Manoj Kumar defeated the BJP candidate by 777 votes. –IANS sch/abm