Fresh Faces and Fierce Battles Define Rohtas District as Bihar Enters Second Phase of Polls

 With new contenders replacing sitting MLAs and heavyweight leaders entering the battlefield, the electoral fight in Rohtas district promises to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the second phase of Bihar assembly elections slated for November 11.

The Grand Alliance (GW) continues to maintain its dominance over all seven assembly constituencies in Rohtas district, including Sasaram, Dehri, Dinara, Chenari (Reserved), Nokha, Karhagar, and Karakat, as the district gears up for the second phase of polling. However, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has dropped three of its sitting legislators, bringing in new faces to strengthen its prospects.

In the present assembly, RJD holds four seats, namely Sasaram, Dehri, Dinara, and Nokha, while Congress represents Chenari and Karhagar, and CPI (ML) Liberation has Karakat. This time, the RJD has replaced its sitting MLAs in Sasaram, Dehri, and Dinara, setting the stage for fresh political contests across the district.

Known for the historic mausoleum of Sher Shah Suri, Sasaram has drawn attention after the RJD denied a ticket to its sitting MLA, Rajesh Gupt, and fielded Satendra Sah. He faces a strong challenge from Snehlata Kushwaha, wife of Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and former union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, who is contesting her first election. In 2020, RJD’s Rajesh Gupta had defeated JD(U)’s Ashok Kumar. This time, 22 candidates are in the fray.

In Dehri, RJD has replaced sitting MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh with Guddu Chandravanshi. LJP (Ram Vilas) has fielded Sonu Singh as its candidate, setting up a multi-cornered contest. In the 2020 polls, Fateh Bahadur Singh of RJD had defeated BJP’s Satyanarayan Singh. This time, 10 candidates are contesting.

RJD has denied renomination to its sitting MLA Vijay Kumar Mandal and instead fielded Rajesh Yadav. RLM has nominated Alok Kumar Singh, brother of minister Santosh Singh, while former minister Jai Kumar Singh is contesting as an Independent, turning the contest into a triangular one. In 2020, RJD’s Vijay Kumar Mandal had defeated LJP’s Rajendra Pratap Singh, while JD(U)’s Jai Kumar Singh had stood third. A total of 12 candidates are in the fray this time.

Former Congress MLA Murari Gautam has switched sides to LJP (Ram Vilas), contesting again from the seat he won in 2020 by defeating JD(U)’s Lalan Paswan. Congress has fielded Mangal Ram, the block chief of Chenari. A total of 15 candidates are contesting here.

At the Nokha seat, RJD has once again fielded sitting MLA Anita Devi, daughter-in-law of former minister Jangi Chaudhary and wife of ex-MLA Anand Mohan Singh. She faces JD(U)’s Nagendra Chandravanshi, her main rival from 2020, when she defeated him by a comfortable margin. This time, 11 candidates are in the fray.

Congress MLA Santosh Kumar Mishra, son of former minister Girish Narayan Mishra, is seeking a second consecutive victory. He is being challenged by JD(U)’s Vashishtha Singh and BSP’s Uday Pratap Singh, son of former minister Ramdhani Singh. Popular Bhojpuri singer and actor Ritesh Pandey is contesting on a Jan Suraaj ticket, making the fight intense and multi-cornered. Karhagar is also the home turf of Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor. In 2020, Mishra had defeated Vashishtha Singh. A total of 12 candidates are contesting this time.

CPI (ML) Liberation MLA Arun Singh is seeking re-election, facing JD(U)’s former MP Mahabali Singh. Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh’s wife, Jyoti Singh, has entered the fray as an Independent, adding glamour and intrigue to the contest. In 2020, CPI (ML)’s Arun Singh defeated BJP’s Rajeshwar Raj. The constituency, famous for its sand and rice industries, has 13 candidates in the race.