Tejashwi Yadav to Contest from Two Seats in Bihar Assembly Elections: Raghopur and Phulparas

Tejashwi Yadav, a senior leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, will be contesting from two constituencies in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, according to sources who spoke with NDTV. One seat is Raghopur, his family's traditional stronghold. The second is Phulparas in Madhubani district, currently held by Sheela Kumari of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United.

In the previous election, Congress candidate Kripanath Pathak was Kumari's closest challenger, losing by approximately 11,000 votes.

Phulparas has been a JD(U) stronghold since 2010. A victory there would represent a significant setback for the ruling party while boosting RJD's morale.

Yadav's decision to contest from multiple seats follows his party's impressive performance in 2020, when RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. That year, the Opposition Grand Alliance secured 110 seats against the NDA's 122 in Bihar's 243-member assembly. The alliance narrowly lost several constituencies, sometimes by fewer than 1000 votes.

This move would also establish Yadav's presence in the Mithilanchal region, which, along with Seemanchal, proved crucial for the NDA's victory in 2020. Interestingly, this area had strongly supported the Grand Alliance in 2015, when the coalition (which included JD(U) at that time) dominated the region, winning 25 of 30 assembly seats across Darbhanga, Samastipur, and Madhubani.

In 2015, Tejashwi Yadav won his debut election from Raghopur, defeating BJP's Satish Kumar by over 38,000 votes.

The Raghopur seat has significant family history, having been previously represented by Tejashwi's parents, former Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi.

This election cycle, Raghopur may see an interesting contest, as election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has indicated it could be one of his potential constituencies. Kishor is also considering the Kargahar seat in Rohtas district, currently held by Congress's Santosh Kumar Mishra.

If the Jan Suraaj Party leader decides to contest from Raghopur, it would set up a high-profile prestige battle against the RJD.

Although established political parties in Bihar have dismissed Kishor as a political novice, the NDA camp might portray Tejashwi Yadav's decision to contest from two seats as a contingency plan.