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Bihar Polls: Will Muscleman Hulas Pandey Smash This RJD’s Fortress For NDA?
Bihar Polls: RJD’s Citadel Since 2000 Faces Its Toughest Battle; Will Feared Muscleman Hulas Pandey Make Brahmpur NDA’s Trophy?
Brahmpur has stood firmly with RJD for 25 years, powered by its decisive Muslim-Yadav vote bank that acts as a loyal electoral shield. Now NDA's feared strongman Hulas Pandey charges into the heart of this citadel, betting on caste realignments, upper-caste consolidation and anger over local dominance to crack the MY wall.
Bihar Election 2025: The dawn of June 1, 2012 marked a turning point in Bihar's political history. Around 4 am, Brahmeshwar Singh aka Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, founder of the Ranvir Sena, a militia of upper-caste landlords, stepped out for his routine walk in Khopira village in the Agiaon subdivision of Bhojpur district. Out of the quiet morning, motorcycles rolled in. Four to five men opened fire, striking him with nine bullets. He collapsed on the ground and never got up again.
Investigations stretched on for years, and eventually two names emerged in the case files: former MLA Sunil Pandey and his brother, Hulas Pandey. Thirteen years have gone by. The militia that once ruled the countryside without fear is now a memory.
Courts cleared Hulas Pandey of all charges, and his political ascent only continued. A trusted ally of Union Minister Chirag Paswan, he is contesting the assembly election from Brahmpur in Buxar district on an LJP (Ram Vilas) ticket. He is taking on his old opponent – the sitting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Shambhu Nath Yadav. The voters of this constituency will decide their future in the first phase on November 6.
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This duel played out in 2020 as well, when Yadav defeated him by a margin of 51,141 votes. The mood on the ground in 2025 feels unsettled. People speak with frustration about the incumbent MLA. But he still enjoys support of a large section of his community. Their strength forms the party's most loyal base.
Brahmins and Bhumihars together make up roughly 14 percent of voters. They traditionally cast their ballot in favour of the Congress and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahani (both allies of the RJD). This voting pattern could help the sitting MLA hold his ground.
A reunited National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which the LJP(R) is a partner, lifts Pandey's hopes. Upendra Kushwaha stands with him this time to convince non-Yadav OBCs, including Kushwaha community, to vote in his favour.
The Brahmpur seat includes three blocks: Brahmpur, Chakki and Simri. Locals point to Chakki with pride. It once existed as a small village on the map. RJD chief and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav turned it into a block. The MLA belongs to this soil.
The RJD held this ground tight for years. The much talked about Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) formula shaped the party's victory after victory. The two numerically strong communities together hold close to 30 percent of voters here.
Barely five kilometers from the Ganga, Noranga Rai ka Tola sits on the edge of Ballia and Buxar. The river grips one side. A scar of a broken road grips the other. A thousand people live here, with 400 eligible voters. Bhumihars form the largest share.
Residents describe a life shaped by fear and broken infrastructure. Living near the border feels like standing unprotected in the open. Safety is something they hope for rather than something they expect. They want a leader who sees them as human beings, not as figures on a voter list. Many point out that powerful leaders across Bihar face criminal cases, but what they really care about now is a leader who delivers results.
No matter where the conversation begins, it always returns to one theme. The MLA has never set foot in their village. The road that connects them to the outside world remains is broken and forgotten. When the Ganga floods each monsoon, the area gets submerged without fail, but the help never does.
Chakki lies next door. This is the MLA's home turf. A small market marks the centre. A paan seller counts 25 years behind the counter. He remembers days when work got done quickly. He remembers leaders who stood among the crowd, not above it.
A short walk leads into Rampur Matiha, a Muslim-majority village. Here, disappointment speaks softly but sharply. People recall promises made before an election. They say those promises fell silent later. They know the MLA's name, but do not remember his face. They say they are reduced to caste boxes on a poll sheet.
Anger drifts through the air. Numbers still sit heavy. The gap of 50,000 votes in 2020 is a mountain. Local journalists who have watched every booth feel the climb remains steep. A united NDA adds strength, but 20,000 more votes still feel far away. Brahmin votes lean toward the sitting MLA. Old loyalties tug at the hand.
Only once since 2000 has the RJD let this seat slip. The BJP broke the run in 2010. The RJD reclaimed it with more force later. Margins stretched wide.
In 2020, the LJP left NDA and fought alone. Pandey bagged 39,035 votes. VIP's Jayraj Chaudhary received 30,482. The Mallah vote split. Many say that split gave the RJD the huge edge. Even counting both tallies, the challenger still fell short.
Pandey moves from hamlet to hamlet, close to the river's bend. He tells people he draws his strength from them. He does not reject the label of muscle. He calls it public power. He believes a united NDA will push him across the line.
RJD leaders appear equally confident. They expect the Mallah belt to stay with them. They speak of victory with an even bigger margin.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has Mahavir Yadav in the fray. Analysts see only a small shift from his presence. A few thousand votes at most. Dalit votes, nearly 10,000, are likely to stay with the BJP. The triangle may thin into a duel again.
Brahmpur hopes for roads that hold together. Villages free from the yearly water siege. A leader who knows each street by face, not by chart.
Anger brews at tea stalls. Loyalty stands guard in courtyards. The MLA trusts the past. The challenger bets on change.
The ballot will decide whether Brahmpur keeps its old fort. Or whether new footsteps enter the gate.
Source: ZeeNews
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