Kahalgaon Bihar Election: Four-Way Battle Emerges as Alliance Partners Turn Rivals in Key Constituency

(Clockwise from left), Shubhanand Mukesh, Pawan Yadav, Rajnish Yadav and Praveen Kushwaha

Kahalgaon (Bihar):

Bihar's upcoming second phase of Assembly elections is revealing complex coalition dynamics in certain constituencies. The Kahalgaon Assembly seat in Bhagalpur district stands out as a prime example, where a fascinating four-cornered contest is unfolding due to alliance partners turning competitors and internal party conflicts emerging over ticket distribution.

Situated near the historic Vikramshila Buddhist monastic complex, Kahalgaon hosts a significant NTPC power plant. The constituency faces persistent traffic congestion from industrial vehicles traveling to and from the facility.

JDU has fielded Shubhanand Mukesh, an engineer whose father, late Sadanand Singh, represented Congress in this seat nine times as a former Bihar Assembly Speaker. After losing the 2020 election on a Congress ticket to BJP's Pawan Kumar Yadav, Mukesh has switched allegiance to JDU. Reports suggest Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has personally mentored him for this electoral battle. "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has groomed me and I have my father's legacy too," Mukesh stated.

The BJP's decision to allocate Kahalgaon to JDU as part of their coalition arrangement has created significant fallout. Incumbent MLA Pawan Kumar Yadav, denied the opportunity to defend his seat, has rebelled and entered the race as an Independent candidate. "People will vote for me based on my performance as an MLA over the past five years," Yadav confidently declared.

Meanwhile, the opposition alliance faces its own coordination challenges. While BJP and JDU reached agreement on Kahalgaon, RJD and Congress failed to achieve consensus, resulting in both parties fielding candidates against each other. Congress has nominated Praveen Kushwaha, while RJD has selected Rajnish Yadav, whose father serves as a minister in neighboring Jharkhand's government.

Rajnish Yadav maintains he is the official Mahagathbandhan candidate, dismissing concerns about vote splitting. "If the votes were divided, so many people would not attend my rallies. There is no crowd at his (Kushwaha) rallies," he asserted. Congress reportedly refused to surrender the Kahalgaon seat during alliance negotiations despite RJD's requests, with Kushwaha attributing this to "one man's ambition."

For local voters, employment remains the paramount concern. "Bihar's education is in a dismal state. And only an educated person can bring education. We don't want to talk about specific leaders and parties. But those talking about education will be elected," expressed one young voter.