Battle tightens in Raxaul as rebels upset NDA, INDIA bloc equations

Motihari: Raxaul assembly constituency, situated on the northern side of East Champaran district bordering Nepal, is commonly known as the ‘gateway of Nepal’. The small Sarisawa river forms the dividing line between India and Nepal.

The seat is witnessing a three-cornered fight with BJP candidate Pramod Sinha, Congress nominee Shyam Bihari Prasad and Jan Suraaj contestant Kapildeo Prasad alias Bhuwan Patel in the fray. Altogether, five candidates are in the poll arena, of whom two are independents.

Interestingly, Shyam Bihari Prasad and Kapildeo Prasad were earlier JD(U) functionaries but resigned from the party.


Social worker Sushil Kumar said the Raxaul seat has become a crucial test of coalition unity, as disgruntled party leaders could prove a spoilsport for both the NDA and the INDIA bloc. The threat of internal sabotage and prestige is at stake, he said.

BJP candidate Pramod Sinha, contesting for the second time, faces more danger from internal sabotage than from the opposition Congress. A BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said the prestige of MP Sanjay Jaiswal is tied to Pramod’s candidature, as several party leaders such as Ajay Kumar Singh, Mahesh Agrawal, Jitendra Gupta and others are not supporting him. In this situation, the Congress candidate is getting indirect support.

Pramod belongs to the Kushwaha community, while Shyam Bihari Prasad of the Vaishya community is receiving strong backing from his caste group. To retain the seat, Pramod has to work hard on every front. Shyam Bihari Prasad is exerting his strength to wrest the seat, but the silence of Rambabu Yadav, who unsuccessfully contested on a Congress ticket in 2020, along with the party’s weak organisational position, is posing a problem for him.

On the other side, Jan Suraaj candidate Kapildeo Patel has complicated the electoral equation. A former JD(U) general secretary, his activism has created a dent significant enough to worry both the BJP and the Congress. He is eroding the NDA’s strong base of ‘Luv-Kush’ votes while also trying to draw support from other sections of the Mahagathbandhan, including Muslims.

Local voters are unwilling to reveal their cards. This silence is unnerving candidates, who face the dual challenge of protecting their own votes while preventing leakage.