Lok Sabha Elections 2024: History favours Manjhis & BJP in Gaya; but Jitam Ram’s own record a concern for NDA

New Delhi: In the first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on April 19, Bihar will witness voting in four key constituencies: Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui, and Nawada. These seats collectively will seal the fate of 38 candidates, with Gaya having the highest contestant count of 14.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, these four seats were won by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA): BJP won Aurangabad, JD-U claimed Gaya, while the then united Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) managed to clinch Jamui and Nawada.

Will BJP’s support change things for Jitan Ram Manjhi in Gaya?

This time, former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) Jitan Ram Manjhi is contesting from Gaya Lok Sabha seat as NDA candidate. Manjhi, who has already contested three Lok Sabha elections from Gaya seat earlier, will be facing RJD candidate and local favourite Kumar Sarvjeet. Sarvjeet, a former minister and sitting MLA from Bodh Gaya constituency is said to be a favourite among the locals here.

If we have a look at the Gaya’s track record, the voters have favoured candidates from the Manjhi community, however Jitam Ram Manjhi himself has not been so lucky after facing defeats in his all three previous attempts.

Gaya Lok Sabha seat has been a BJP stronghold

Riding high on Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) track record, this time, Manjhi is hopeful of breaking his losing streak.

Gaya Lok Sabha seat was won by the BJP candidates in 1989, 1998, 1999, 2009, and 2014. BJP’s Hari Manjhi won Gaya Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and 2014. In 2019, JDU’s Vijay Manjhi emerged winner on this seat after it was spared by BJP as part of seat sharing deal.

In 2019, Vijay Manjhi, who won this seat with a margin of about 1.5 lakh votes, against his nearest opponent, Jitan Ram Manjhi who got 3,14, 581 votes. A total of 56 per cent voting was recorded in 2019.

Gaya Lok Sabha seat, which constitutes 6 assembly segments – Sherghati, Bodh Gaya, Gaya Town, Belaganj, Wazirganj and Barachatti- was last won by Congress party in 1984. Lau Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had won this seat in 2004 Lok Sabha polls.

Out of a total of 30 lakh voters in the Gaya (SC) Lok Sabha constituency presently, it comprises of about 30 per cent of SC voters, followed by about 11 per cent Muslims.

SC voters, a deciding factor in Gaya Lok Sabha seat