This story is from April 1, 2019

JD(U) banks on PM Narendra Modi’s Gaya visit on April 2

JD(U) banks on PM Narendra Modi’s Gaya visit on April 2
Narendra Modi
GAYA: With NDA candidate Vijay Manjhi heavily banking on the aura of PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, all eyes are now fixed on the April 2 rally to be addressed by the Prime Minister.
The PM’s visit will have electrifying effect on the voters and it will also galvanize the workers of all the alliance partners including LJP, said JD(U) leader Lalji Prasad. BJP won this seat on its own in 2014.
Now, they have the support of JD(U) which separately contested the 2014 general election.
In 2014, BJP candidate polled 3.26 lakh votes. JD(U) got 1.3 lakh votes and RJD candidate got 2.1 lakh votes. Just add the votes polled by BJP and JD(U) and you have the result, said Prasad.
Politics is more about chemistry than arithmetic, says Prof Ali Hussain, a teacher of political science and close observer of the Magadh political scene. In 2014, Jitan Ram Manjhi was the JD(U) candidate and a big chunk of 1.3 lakh votes polled by him was on account of his personal appeal and three decades of experience in electoral politics.
Moreover, unlike 2014, this election has no wave and political pundits, in most cases eat humble pie in such elections.
Local issues and candidate’s personality play an important role in a waveless election. Personality wise, Vijay fares poorly as compared to his better known rival and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM-S), who is the Mahagahthbandhan candidate and leader of the Mahadalits. All said, politics like cricket is a game of uncertainties, opined the political science teacher.

Asked to identify the local issues, he said every assembly segment has its own problems. For the Gaya town, low-height barrage over Falgu river is the main issue. For Bodh Gaya, expansion of the airport runway and four-laning of NH-83 are important issues. Four-laning of NH-83 as such is important for the entire Gaya parliamentary constituency, said Hussain.
JD(U) is leaving no stone unturned to win the Gaya seat. A couple of days back, senior JD(U) leader RCP Singh visited Karimganj locality of the town to meet alleged gangster Bhola Miyan. What transpired at the meeting is not known, but it has caused embarrassment to the NDA camp as Bhola is regarded as a jail bird. Bhola is accused in dozens of criminal cases.
Asked for his comment on the reported meet between RCP and Bhola, BJP leader Akhauri Niranjan said nobody from the BJP has met Bhola and, as such, his party cannot be held accountable for all the actions of the alliance partner. Victory, in any case, has become the ultimate objective of electoral politics, said Akhauri.
Bindi Yadav, a former CCA detainee and father of road rage case accused Rocky Yadav, has thrown his weight behind JD(U) candidate. Bindi, the more dreaded of the Bachchu-Bindi duo that virtually held Gaya district to ransom in 1990s, has got big clout in the Barachatti segment of Gaya parliamentary constituency.
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