East Champaran, October 31 (IANS). Dhaka seat of East Champaran has once again become the center of political unrest in Bihar Assembly elections 2025. Voting for this general category seat under Sheohar Lok Sabha constituency will be held in the second phase on November 11, while the results will be announced on November 14. Dhaka is a busy town in North Bihar, adjacent to the border of India. Being the headquarters of the Sikarhana subdivision, it is the center of local business. Dhaka, located 28 km northeast of Motihari, the district headquarters, is connected by road to Mehsi, Bairagnia and Sugauli. Raxaul (28 km northwest) is an important trade center connecting with Gour, Chandranighapur and Birgunj of Nepal. In the south are Sitamarhi-Belsand (60–90 km) and Patna (180 km southwest). Whether the similarity of the name is a coincidence or the influence of pre-Partition Bengali traders, the local legends make it interesting. Paddy, maize and sugarcane are the most important crops in the agricultural economy. Branded goods along with local products are available in the markets, but migration of youth to Delhi, Punjab and Maharashtra is common. Remittances are the backbone of the local economy. The proximity to the border also poses challenges of smuggling and illegal entry. Dhaka has shown diversity in its electoral history. The Congress had dominance in the initial phase. The Congress won 6 out of 9 elections from 1952 to 1985, with leaders like Masudur Rahman and Motiur Rahman prominent. Later there was an exchange of power between BJP and RJD. BJP won 5 times, RJD 2, and CPI, Praja Socialist Party, Janata Party and an independent won one each. BJP’s Avnish Kumar Singh won four times in 1990–2005. RJD’s Manoj Kumar Singh was successful in 2000. In 2010, independent Pawan Kumar Jaiswal defeated JDU’s Faisal Rehman. In 2015, RJD’s Faisal Rehman defeated Jaiswal by 19,197 votes. In 2020, Jaiswal won on BJP ticket with 99,792 votes (48.01 percent) defeating RJD’s Rehman with 89,678 votes (43.15 percent) by 10,114 votes. In 2024, RJD took the lead in Lok Sabha with 12,818 votes, challenging the assembly. In 2025, BJP again fielded Pawan Jaiswal. Jaiswal, founder and social activist of Ram Rahim Sena, is popular for schemes like mass marriages. RJD has given a ticket to Faisal Rehman, whose father Motiur Rehman was a Rajya Sabha MP. To talk about local issues, irrigation, flood control, migration, education, health and border security are the most important. Reminds us of the contribution of the local freedom fighter Siyaram Thakur in the Champaran Satyagraha. According to the Election Commission data, the total population of the area is 5,48,926, of which 2,85,632 are males and 2,63,294 are females. At the same time, the number of voters in the area is 3,26,275, which includes 1,72,073 men, 1,54,188 women and 14 third gender voters. In 2020, 64.75 percent voting took place here, showing the vibrancy of this rural-dominated seat (91 percent rural voters). –IANS SCH/DKP