Begusarai: The political heat is rising in Bihar’s Bakhri Assembly constituency — a seat long regarded as the bastion of Left politics. Known for its deep-rooted communist influence, Bakhri (a reserved constituency) is now firmly on the radar of the NDA. The contest this time is expected to be a fierce face-off between the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidate and the CPI nominee. The margin of defeat in the last election — just 777 votes — has made this year’s poll one of the most closely watched battles in Bihar.
Bakhri’s Political Legacy: A Leftist Fortress with Shifting Tides
Since the first Bihar Assembly election in 1952, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has won Bakhri 11 times, making it one of the strongest Left seats in the state. Congress has secured victory thrice, the RJD twice, and the BJP once.
In the 2020 election, CPI’s Suryakant Paswan defeated BJP’s Ram Shankar Paswan by a razor-thin margin of 777 votes, polling 72,177 votes against BJP’s 71,400. This narrow loss has motivated the NDA to recalibrate its strategy for 2025.
This time, the BJP has ceded the Bakhri seat to its ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), fielding Sanjay Paswan as the NDA candidate, while the CPI has once again trusted Suryakant Paswan under the Mahagathbandhan banner. The verdict will be out on November 14, but political observers are already calling it the “Battle of 777 Votes.”
Historical Election Trends: From Congress to CPI, RJD, and BJP
- 1952–1962: Congress dominated Bakhri, winning three consecutive terms.
- 1970s–1990s: CPI established its stronghold, winning multiple elections and building deep grassroots networks.
- 2000: RJD’s Ramanand Ram broke the Left’s winning streak, defeating CPI’s Ram Vinod Paswan.
- 2005: CPI’s Ram Vinod Paswan reclaimed the seat twice (in both elections that year).
- 2010: Ramanand Ram, switching to BJP, gave the party its first-ever win in Bakhri with 43,871 votes.
- 2015: RJD’s Upendra Paswan defeated Ramanand Ram by over 40,000 votes.
- 2020: CPI’s Suryakant Paswan reclaimed the seat with one of the narrowest margins in Bihar’s electoral history.
At the Lok Sabha level, BJP’s Giriraj Singh secured leads from the Bakhri segment in both 2019 and 2024 parliamentary elections — a trend the NDA hopes to replicate in the assembly polls.
Agriculture-Based Economy and Local Issues Dominate
Bakhri’s economy is primarily agriculture-driven, with maize as the main crop, followed by wheat and paddy. Despite high production, the absence of proper markets and poor infrastructure have frustrated local farmers.
Frequent waterlogging in Bakhri town, lack of train stoppages on the Bakhri–Hasanpur route, and inadequate job opportunities are major local issues that are expected to shape the 2025 campaign narrative.
Caste Equation: Dalit and OBC Voters Hold the Key
Bakhri is a reserved constituency, with a majority of voters belonging to Scheduled Castes, particularly the Paswan community. The Julaha-Tanti (weaver) community also holds significant sway. Besides them, Vaishya, Kushwaha, Yadav, Muslim, and upper-caste voters are crucial in determining the final outcome.
This complex social fabric has made the seat a microcosm of Bihar’s larger caste politics — and a political laboratory for both the NDA and Mahagathbandhan.
The Big Question
As the “777-vote battle” heats up, will the Left retain its decades-old fortress, or will the NDA breach the red bastion this time?
All eyes are on Bakhri, where the outcome could signal a larger political shift in Bihar’s heartland.
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