Satish Aditya

Motihari :  The electioneering in Pipra Assembly Constituency (AC) in East Champaran District in North Bihar, which will to poll on November 3, 2020,  has reached feverish pitch. All the candidates  have intensified their election campaigns  in  remote villages with their
supporters. There are 15 candidates  including two women in the fray this time.

Majority of the voters say that Shyambabu Prasad Yadav, the sitting BJP MLA ,is  locked in contest with his old rival  Raj Mangal Prasad , ,the CPM candidate  of Grand Alliance (GA) but Awadhesh  Kushawaha’s  entry as an Independent candidate has made the contest triangular here. Awadhesh Kushawaha is a JD(U) rebel. The Pipra seat went to the BJP in the seat sharing formula this time.

Pipra  constituency lies on both sides of  NH-28 spread over Piprakothi to Mehasi in  30 km long  stretch comprising Chakiya, Tetariya, and Mehasi blocks. The total number of voters is 3,39,104, who will exercise their franchise on 485 polling booths on November 3, 2020,
in second phase of Bihar Assembly elections.

In 2010 assembly elections, Awadhesh Kushawaha, as a JD(U)  candidate,  had won the Pipra seat defeating RJD candidate Subodh Yadav and he became  Sugarcane Development Minister  in Nitish Kumar Government  But  in 2015  assembly elections, his ticket  was cancelled  by the party president after a video went  viral  against  him. Krishna Chandra Kushawaha was allotted JD(U) ticket but  he was defeated  by BJP  candidate Shyambabu Prasad Yadav by a margin  of 3,940 votes.

Karan Singh, a farmer of Madhopur, said, ” Shyambabu Yadav, the BJP  MLA ,has done nothing for  development of this constituency. Bidhayak ta aybo na kare  gaon me. khali chunaw me dikhai dela ( The MLA never visited the area, he is seen only during election ).”   Dozen of farmers and labourers of Chakiya, Piprakothi, and Mehasi ,  criticized the sitting BJP MLA  Yadav, saying Chakiya Sugar Factory has remained closed for the last 20 years but the state government remained indifferent. The Gandak canals are full of silt  and farmers   are not getting water for irrigation. Subhash Kushawaha, the RLSP candidate from Pipra,  supported the  grievances of the farmers and said the NItish Government is anti- farmer.

Baniya, Kushawaha, Yadav, and Mullah  castes have considerable  presence in this  constituency followed by Bhumihar, Brahmin, Muslim, and Dalits. BJP National President J P Nadda  has already  visited this constituency and addressed an election meeting urging the voters   to elect the BJP candidate Yadav, who enjoys full support of  former Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh, BJP MP from Purvi Champaran. Radha Mohan is  campaigning  for Yadav.

Raj Mangal Prasad, the CPM candidate,  is getting support of  M Y  combination, while Awadhesh Kusgawaha, Independent, and RLSP nominee Subhash Kushawaha aretrying to mobilise the support of Kushawaha voters. Lalbabu Prasad,  a BJP leader, said that the BJP  candidate is getting  support of all castes  and community because he worked hard  for the common man.