Nawada Lok Sabha Election 2024: Bhumihars Hold the Key in This Bihar Constituency

Nawada is one of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar which comprises the entire Nawada district and parts of Sheikhpura district. It constitutes six assembly seats, namely Barbigha, Rajauli (SC), Hisua, Nawada, Gobindpur, and Warsaliganj. The current MP is Chandan Singh, while those in the fray for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 are Vivek Thakur of the BJP, Shrawan Khushwaha of RJD and Vinod Yadav, an RJD rebel. Nawada will vote in Phase 1 of the 2024 polls on April 19 and results will be declared on June 4.

Key Voting Factors

• BJP’s Dominance: Since the time of Jan Sangh, BJP has been a strong influence in Nawada. Since the turn of the century, BJP and NDA have been continuously winning the seat, losing only once in 2004. Giriraj Singh was a BJP MP from Nawada in 2014 and, in the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP-backed LJP candidate Chandan Singh won the seat despite not being a popular figure in Nawada.
• Modi Factor: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma has played a huge part in Nawada. In 2014, the Modi Wave swept the elections despite Giriraj Singh being an outsider in the constituency. In 2019, Chandan Singh from LJP won largely because of the Modi Factor. Local voters see Modi as the candidate on the ballot, and the actual candidate is mostly inconsequential. According to on-ground reports, Modi’s face is the ultimate voting factor in the constituency.
• Anti-Incumbency: Current MP Chandan Singh has not been re-nominated because there is a wave of anti-incumbency against him. During his tenure he did not do much for the constituency. According to on-ground reports, there was a lot of disappointment and resentment towards him among the constituents. People have gone as far as to say that one would find nothing that Chandan Singh accomplished during his tenure. In fact, he was not even able to continue with the development work of his predecessor Giriraj Singh, such as opening a Kendriya Vidyalaya in the region and the Upper Sakri Jalashay yojana which has been paralysed for 33 years. The BJP has rectified its mistake and during Amit Shah’s rally in Nawada last year, the field was set that the BJP will be coming back to Nawada.
• A New Face: This time, BJP has fielded Vivek Thakur, son of Dr CP Thakur, a former member of Rajya Sabha and Union minister. He was a cabinet minister from 1999 to 2004 in the BJP government. Vivek Thakur was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2020. Nawada being a BJP bastion in Bihar gives BJP a chance to bring a fresh Bhumihar face among the populace and give him ballot credibility. This is due to the fact that the numerous big Bhumihar leaders of BJP in Bihar are on the waning end of their political careers — Whether it be Giriraj Singh, Radha Mohan Singh or Lallan Singh. Moreover, Vivek Thakur is also a close aide of Amit Shah. Vivek Thakur has been campaigning aggressively in Nawada, listing out the numerous welfare schemes by the Modi government, and has been tugging the Hindutva line.
• Shrawan Kushwaha: RJD has fielded Shrawan Kushwaha as the INDIA candidate. Khushwaha is a local in the region, unlike Vivek Thakur. He belongs to the influential Kushwaha clan. Fighting on an RJD seat gives him the advantage of attracting RJD cadres of Yadav’s and Muslim, apart from the cadre of his own caste. RJD was banking on the vote bank of the MY+K (Muslims & Yadav+ Kushwaha) to win. However, his candidature has sparked a revolt among the Yadavs. Vinod Yadav, the former RJD state secretary has decided to stand as an Independent. With the Yadavs divided, Kushwaha’s chances of victory have greatly diminished. He could’ve given the BJP a tough fight had Vinod Yadav not contested the elections as an independent.
• Vinod Yadav: Vinod Yadav is the brother of Rajvallabh Yadav who was an influential figure in the RJD, and very close to Lalu Yadav. However, this time around, Lalu decided to back Shravan Kushwaha without much consultation. Rajvallabh Yadav, who wanted to nominate his younger brother Vinod, is miffed. In the last assembly election, Shrawan Kushwaha’s independent candidature had cost Rajvallabh a seat. Vinod Yadav is contesting as independent against Khushwaha in revenge. While the majority of the RJD cadre will stick to Lalu’s Kushwaha candidate, Rajvallabh’s loyal supporters will flock to Vinod Yadav.
• Bhumihars Hold the Key: Bhumihar, Yadav, Kushwaha, Vaishya, and the Dalit, EBC and OBC dominate the caste-based demographics of the Nawada constituency. Bhumihars are almost 22-25 per cent of the vote bank in Nawada and will support the BJP due to Thakur’s candidature. A small portion of the Kushwaha votes (which is 2-5 per cent of voters) will also fall to the BJP due to the presence of Upendra Kushwaha and deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary and the BJP’s district head who is also a member of the Kushwaha caste. A sizeable chunk of the Kushwaha votes though will fall to the RJD. Another factor which can attract Kushwaha votes is gangster Ashok Mahto. He is also a Kushwaha from Nawada and is called the Robin Hood of the region. He is based in Munger but will have an impact on the Warisaliganj and Barbigha assembly region in Nawada.
• The Yadav Factor: Yadavs and a few other castes, the staunch RJD vote bank, constitute 25 per cent of the demography. Muslim vote, which constitutes around 8 per cent of the vote, will completely go to the RJD. Vaishya, Dalits and the OBCs also constitute around 28 per cent of the voting pool. EBCs constitute 15 per cent. The Dalit, OBC and EBC votes swing a lot and currently, RJD has a hold on them. However, with the coming of Nitish Kumar back in the NDA fold, along with the presence of Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, a sizeable chunk of this vote might turn to the BJP. Some assembly seats in Nawada constitute mostly of Paswans and Rajvanshis whose local leaders represent the BJP, giving the BJP an edge among this demographic.
• Outsider Candidate: The RJD has been repeatedly highlighting the issue of BJP bringing in candidates from outside and making them MPs. RJD is trying to drum up the narrative that the MP from Nawada should be born and brought up from Nawada and should be a native and son of the soil.

Key Issues

• Agriculture: Nawada is an economically backward constituency and agriculture constitutes the biggest industry in the region. There are issues regarding irrigation, the solution for which has evaded the farmers in the region. Most of the farmers in the region are poor and are dependent on rain and the government to fulfil their agricultural and irrigation needs. The construction of the reservoir in the upper region of the Sakri river has been on hold for almost three decades. All the MPs who have won the seat have contested promising a solution, but none have delivered.
• Sugar Mill: There was a sugar mill in Warisaliganj which has been a local election issue for decades in the constituency. The mill has been shut for 31 years but the people who worked there are still waiting for employees’ salary and farmers’ dues. This time around, the sugar mill has been completely done away with and Adani has acquired the space. A cement factory is being constructed which will bring much-needed employment in the region. However, the long-pending demand for payment of dues is yet to realise.
• Employment and Emigration: Employment is a big issue in the constituency. People regularly emigrate, especially labourers and menial workers, to other regions such as Patna or to different states for employment. Lack of major projects and skill development programmes has also led to people emigrating from the region to find better sources of income.
• Lack of Civic Infrastructure: According to on-ground reports, the roads in the constituency are in major disrepair. There are no public urinals in the constituency, which is an inconvenience to the people, especially women. Since 1973, when the constituency was carved out of Gaya, no public parks were built. Healthcare in the constituency is also in shambles. The constituency has no major health centres and people are referred to either Patna or Gaya in case of a health condition. The issue of electricity and power supply has not yet been resolved.
• Lack of Educational institutes: There are no medical colleges in Nawada, nor any institute which can provide higher education such as a Master’s degree. As a result, students often migrate to Patna or Bodh Gaya and settle there in hope of employment. In 2004, Sanjay Paswan had promised the construction of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Nawada, but no work has been done on it.
• Eradication of Jungle Raj: The eradication of 15 years of Jungle Raj under Lalu Yadav has been a major achievement of the BJP and JDU, and people recognise it. According to ground reports, majority of the population in the constituency still remembers the scars of Jungle Raj where roads were closed down forcefully. They are grateful to the NDA for eradicating these issues.
• Welfare Schemes: The implementation of various welfare schemes by the Centre such as Ayushman Bharat, the grain scheme, and the vaccination scheme during Covid-19, have garnered significant appreciation among the populace in Nawada. These initiatives have provided much-needed support and relief, particularly for the underprivileged and vulnerable sections of society. The accessibility of healthcare through Ayushman Bharat, coupled with subsidised grain provisions, have positively impacted the lives of many residents. There is widespread satisfaction with the government’s welfare measures and this is clearly recognised as an achievement of Narendra Modi.
• Ram Mandir: National issues such as the Ram Mandir have magnitudinal impact on the voters in the constituency. There is a very strong RSS shakha presence in the constituency and people see the Ram Mandir as a victory of Hindutva. Back in 1990, a huge number of Kar Sevaks from Nawada had thronged to join in the Rath Yatra to Ayodhya. Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha is being seen as a victory of the movement.
• CAA: CAA has also captured the imagination of the people from Nawada. Bhumihars, Yadavs, Kushwahas and even the lower castes are in support of the CAA.

Voter Demographics

Total Voters (2019)

● 17,69,971

Religious Demographics

● Hindu: 89.81%

● Muslim: 10.17%

● Others: 0.2%

Social Dynamics

● SC: 24.66%

● ST: 0.1%

Infrastructure Development

• Expressway: The four-lane Rajauli-Nawada-Bakhtiyarpur National Highway-31 is now under construction which will help people travel from Nawada to Patna in two hours.
• Railway Overbridges: Construction of a railway overbridge in Nawada has been cleared. At present, the 10-15 minutes it should take to travel from one end of the town to the other often becomes an hour-and-a-half due to a railway crossing. After construction of ROB, improvement in traffic is expected. Another Rail Overbridge was inaugurated in Nawada in 2017 — Gaya-Manpur Bypass rail overbridge.
• Railway Infrastructure Development: Development of Nawada, Sheikhpura, Warisaliganj, Hisua railway stations have been a top priority for the Centre. Nawada railway station is planned to be developed in the style of the Patna Railway station by improving passenger facilities. The electrification of Nawada railway station was completed in 2018. Doubling and electrification of the Kiul-Gaya Section has happened. A new line will be built between Koderma-Tilaiya and Nawada-Lakhimpur.
• Rural Roads: Rural roads have been constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. However, road connectivity in the district remains a problem and a majority of roads are in disrepair.
• Engineering College: Established in 2019, the Government Engineering College, Nawada, is a beacon of technical education. The state-government operated college is affiliated to Bihar Engineering University.
• Ganga water supply scheme (GWSS): On December 15, 2023, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the Ganga Water Supply Scheme (GWSS) for Nawada town. The project will facilitate supply of 135 litres of treated Ganga water every day for each person in Nawada.