Bihar meetings elections: JDU -eyes Permanent catch in Belaganj, will RJD be able to create a fortress?

Patna, October 9 (IANS). Belaganj meeting constituency located in the Gaya district Bihar only holds particular importance from a political point of view. It is part of the Magadha region and is located on the banks of the Falgu River, about 25 kilometers south-west of Gaya City. The history of Belaganj is related to the rich tradition of Magadha. Due to the proximity of Gaya and Bodh Gaya, the region was deeply influenced by both Buddhist and Hindu traditions. However, tourism has not developed here like Bodhgaya. The most important language here is Magahi, which reflects the cultural identity of the region. Belaganj also has its own identity in the field of education. Mahabodhi College here was founded in 1980. It is an institution that is permanently attached to Magadh University, Bodhgaya and approved by the Bihar government. This government support is located at a distance of about 15 kilometers from Gaya Railway Junction. The Belaganj’s economy is mainly based on agriculture. Apart from farming, people here also earn their existence of small -scale industries such as rice mills, pottery and crafts. From the social point of view it is a general category seat, but the population of scheduled castes here is 29.59 percent and Muslim voters are about 15.8 percent, playing a decisive role in the election equation. Belaganj meeting was founded in 1962 and is one of the six constituencies of the Gaya Lok Sabha. Until now, elections have been held 17 times, including two by -elections. The congress was dominant here in the first decades; The party has won this seat five times. In the following years, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) strengthened his hold and won seven times here. In addition, Janata Dal has won twice, while SamyuKt Samawadi Party, Janata Party and JDU won once each. The by -election held in Belaganj in 2024 gave a new turn to the politics of this region. When veteran RJD leader and the longtime Mla Surderra Prasad Yadav was elected to MP from Jehanabad Lok Sabha, the seat became vacant because of his resignation. JDU’s Manorama Devi achieved a decisive victory in this by -election and broke RJD’s streak of seven consecutive victories. Interestingly, in the lure Sabha election, the Jitan Ram Manjhi of NDA won the gaya seat, but RJD has a slight lead on the Velaganj constituency. Nevertheless, JDU’s victory in the by -election indicated that NDA’s influence was increasing in Belaganj. Belaganj will once again see a direct battle between RJD vs JDU in the 2025 election. There is a possibility of the Grand Alliance that Surendra Yadav will make his son a candidate of this seat, so that the family can be maintained. On the other hand, Manorama Devi will be a strong contender for NDA, who demolished RJD’s fort in the last election. According to the data from the 2024 Electoral Commission, the total population here is 5,79,595, of which 2,47,158 are men and 2,32,337 women. There are voters, and there are 1,49,253 male voters, 1,36,943 female voters and 4 third gender voters. This time, the battle in Belaganj is going to be very interesting. On the one hand, RJD tries to save his old bastion, while JDU, on the other, wants to make his by -election permanent. –Is PSK