Bihar Assembly Bypolls: Key Contests Heat Up as Parties Finalize Candidates

Patna: The BJP named former MLA Ashok Kumar Singh and newcomer Vishal Prashant as candidates for the upcoming by-elections in Bihar ’s Ramgarh and Tarari assembly segments on Saturday. Singh aimed to reclaim the Ramgarh seat, which he lost in the 2020 elections. In Tarari, Prashant, who recently joined the party, sought to continue his family's political legacy.

Singh had previously won the Ramgarh seat in 2015 but faced defeat five years later to RJD's Sudhakar Singh. The need for a by-election arose after Sudhakar Singh won a Lok Sabha seat from Buxar. In Tarari, Prashant aimed to fill the vacancy created by CPI(ML)'s Sudama Prasad, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Arrah.

Prashant’s candidacy was viewed as a significant move against disgruntled NDA partner Pashupati Kumar Paras. The BJP appeared to rally behind Paras's nephew,

Chirag Paswan , who currently held a cabinet position. Sunil Pandey, Prashant’s father, had previously been part of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, which had hoped to contest the Tarari seat on behalf of the NDA .

The selection of Singh, a Rajput, and Prashant, a Bhumihar, highlighted the BJP 's strategy to strengthen its support among upper castes in Bihar . This was particularly important in the southern regions of the state, where the party faced challenges from the INDIA bloc during the Lok Sabha elections.

In addition to the Ramgarh and Tarari seats, by-elections were anticipated in Imamganj and Belaganj, which had been vacated following Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s election and RJD's Surendra Prasad Yadav’s election to the Lok Sabha, respectively. 

Candidates for these two seats had not yet been announced by the NDA , and the INDIA bloc remained tight-lipped about its selections.

Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party also entered the electoral fray, announcing candidates for all seats except Ramgarh, while fielding former army vice chief Lieutenant General Shri Krishna Singh in Tarari. 

(With PTI inputs)