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31/03/2014

Aurangabad: The generational war between Rajput political overlords goes on

Soroor Ahmed

The Aurangabad parliamentary constituency, known as Chittorgarh of the East, is one of the few seats
in Bihar, where the two national partiesthe Bharatiya Janata Party and Congressare almost in
straight contest, though Janata Dal (United)s Bagi Prasad Verma, is trying to make it a three-cornered
fight.

Yet grapevine has it that some top BJP leaders are not averse to the victory of the Congress
candidate, Nikhil Kumar, who was, till a few weeks back, the governor of Kerala. After all, he is the

brother-in-law of the BJP MP of Purnea, Uday Singh, and N K Singh, the former Revenue Secretary of
India. The latter had joined the BJP only recently after he was not re-nominated to the Rajya Sabha by
Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United).

Stories are doing the rounds in political circle that since N K Singh had a good rapport with Mukesh
Ambani, when he was the Special Secretary in the Prime Minister Office during the Vajpayee era,
even the BJP top brass would not like his brother-in-law to be defeated. They think that Nikhils

presence in the Lok Sabha may be more beneficial to the BJP than that of his rival and the partys
own candidate, Sushil Kumar Singh, who crossed over from the Janata Dal (United) only recently.

Ambanis proximity to Narendra Modi is a known fact so the BJPs top-brass wants to keep all options
open.

In all the last 15 Lok Sabha elections Aurangabad had sent Rajput in Parliament. Like in Chittorgarh
the Rajput political war-lords are at daggers drawn position in the constituency.

Former minister and BJP leader, Ramadhar Singh, is so much upset over the denial of ticket that he

publicly stated that the Kshatriya (Rajput) dharma demands that the enemy should be buried.

The irony of the situation is that it was the same Sushil Singh, who inflicted humiliating defeat on Nikhil

Kumar in the last Lok Sabha election as the Janata Dal (United). Though he was brought into the
party fold by none else but Rajnath Singh today he is not finding himself at home in the saffron camp.

Sushil Singh is the son of Ram Naresh Singh, alias Lootan Singh, who was formerly associated to the

family of Anugrah Narain Singh and Satyendra Narain SinghNikhils father and grand-fatherbut

later rebelled against the family and won as MP for the first time in 1989 on Janata Dal ticket. He won
again in 1991.

Though Rajputs have a sizeable presence here Aurangabad has a big Yadav population too. So much

political significance was attached to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs meeting with him in Patna when
he had not yet quit the post of Kerala governor. In fact the meeting took place even before the RJD-
Congress tie up was actually finalized.

The constituency has a sizeable Koeri voters too and the Janata Dal (United) candidate, Bagi Prasad

Verma is trying his level best to woo them. But the problem with him is that there are several old Koeri

leaders of the party who are working against him as he had joined the JD(U) only recently.

Even the BJPs Gurua MLA Surendra Prasad Sinha was all set to contest the Aurangabad
parliamentary seat as JD (U) candidate. But Bagi managed to get the ticket finally leading to a lot of

resentment.

While there is turmoil in both the BJP and Janata Dal (United) the Congress-RJD camp is at least free
from any such rancor in this constituency, which is also known for giving birth to the art of booth-

grabbing in the country way back in 1950s.

The credit for introducing this malpractice goes to the family members and ancestors of both the BJP

and Congress candidates.

Aurangabad is still famous for for classic feudalism and retaliatory Maoists violence. The Dalelchak-
Bhagaura massacre of mid-1980s still haunts the people. Forty-two Rajputs were killed in Dalelchak-
Bhagaura by Maoists Communist Centre, the earlier version of CPI (Maoists), in retaliation to the
killing of seven members of the weaker section of the society. Three decades later the scene has not
changed much.

Aurangabad constituency has parts of Gaya district too. The Howrah-Delhi Grand Chord railway line
cuts the constituency into two halves. G T Road (or Sadak-e-Azam, which is its original name) also

runs parallel to the rail-track.

Rajputs are heavily concentrated in the southern half while the other landed upper caste, Bhumihars,

have a sizeable population in the north.

Aurangabad has Dalit, Extreme Backward Castes and Muslim votes too.

While the Congress is hoping to get a big chunk of Rajput, Muslim and Yadav votes the BJP is relying
more heavily on the NaMo-wave. But the rebellion within the party is causing problem. The Janata

Dal (United) candidate is hoping to get the votes of Koeris, Dalits and EBCs. He is claiming that the
good-work done by chief minister Nitish Kumar may help ensure his victory.

With poll still a few days from now, the Congress can get some consolation that it is very much in

contest here. But the credit for this largely goes to the partys alliance with RJD. Otherwise last time
the same Nikhil Kumar, a retired Delhi Police chief, forfeited his deposit when the Congress fought

alone. In 2004 he had won because the Congress-RJD-LJP formed an alliance.

5 Comments Bihar Times 1
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anup kumar a year ago

Except Nitish .....all is bakwaas in Bihar context.............!
8 Reply Share

Kumar Vikram a year ago

Beni Verma may pull a smart one, as people want a non-Rajput to win from here for
the first time...
6 Reply Share

Truth of Bihar a year ago

It is time that the feudal strangle on Aurangabad is ended, and a new face comi ng
from weaker section gets to represent this seat. The JDU candidate can surely be a
dark horse.
4 Reply Share

Rajeev Kumar(Nalanda) a year ago

Very true. He has huge chance of winning. Even the coveted seat of Nalanda seams
doubtful for JDU. Lot of discontent against Kaushlendra Kumar and silently BJP
helping Congress candidate Ashish Sinha to defeat Nitish in his home turf
2 Reply Share

Dayanand Prasad a year ago

jdu will definitely win the aurangabad seat
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