In the lead-up to the 18th Lok Sabha elections, the spotlight is on the performance of external candidates versus local aspirants in several constituencies across Bihar. Notably, in the Nawada and Darbhanga constituencies, the contest between local and external candidates has gained significant traction.
Nawada Lok Sabha Constituency:
Historically, only twice has a local candidate succeeded in reaching Parliament from Nawada. In 1967, Surya Prakash Narayan Puri, a local monk from Pakribarawan’s Budholi Math, was elected as an independent candidate. Similarly, in 1991, Premchand Ram, a candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), hailed from Bharkhanda village in Sirauli Block. He defeated the Congress candidate Mahavir Choudhary. Since then, no local leader has managed to ascend to Parliament from Nawada. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Vivek Thakur, supported by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and BJP, is contesting from Nawada. However, his opponents, Shravan Kushwaha from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and independent candidate Vinod Yadav, are both locals.
Darbhanga Lok Sabha Constituency:
The electoral history of Darbhanga is intriguing, with ten external candidates having won from this constituency thus far. In the previous election, Gopalji Thakur from the local BJP emerged victorious. This time, the competition is expected to be between local candidates. Both the NDA-backed BJP candidate and the RJD candidate Lalit Yadav are locals. Notably, Dr. Shakil-ur-Rahman from Kashmir also won elections from Darbhanga in the past.
In both Nawada and Darbhanga constituencies, the electorate seems inclined towards local candidates, indicating a trend favoring regional representation in Bihar’s political landscape.
