New Delhi [India], November 10 : With Mahagathbandhan out of the fray in this seat, the Mohania Assembly constituency in Bihar, which is going to the polls in the second phase, is set to witness a triangular contest between NDA, BSP and an independent candidate.
Mohania, a reserved seat for the Scheduled Caste, comes under the larger Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency and is part of Kaimur (Bhabua) district. This seat is traditionally dominated by people from the Scheduled Caste community.
Incumbent MLA Sangita Kumari, who earlier won the seat from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, is seeking to regain the victory from the seat on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.
After RJD candidate Shweta Suman's nomination was cancelled, the grand alliance has extended its support to independent candidate Ravi Shankar Paswan, the son of BJP leader and former MP and MLA, Chhedi Paswan.
The RJD alleged a political conspiracy by the Election Commission, allegedly on the behest of Union Minister Amit Shah, after the poll body cancelled the nomination of the party's candidate, Shweta Suman, from the Mohania constituency.
The RJD claimed that Suman's nomination was cancelled under "undue pressure" from the ECI.
Her nomination was reportedly cancelled over irregularities in her caste certificate. However, the party had issued a clarification stating that Suman's certificate and documents are in accordance with government rules.
From the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Om Prakash Narayan is in the fray from this constituency.
The new entrant, Jan Suraaj, has fielded Gita Devi from the seat.
In the 2020 assembly polls, Sangita Kumari won the assembly polls by 61,235 votes, defeating BJP's Niranjan Ram by a subtle margin of 12,054 (7.62%). Ram had polled 49,181 votes.
According to Election Commission data, the constituency had 2,70,244 registered voters in 2020, though only 1,62,247 turned up to cast their votes.
In the 2015 assembly polls, BJP's Niranjan Ram had won the seat by 60,911 votes, defeating Congress's Sanjay Kumar by a narrow margin of 7,581 (5.49%) votes. Kumar had gained 53,330 votes.
According to Election Commission data, the constituency had 2,48,440 registered voters in 2015, though only 1,40,620 turned up to cast their votes.
In Mohania, locals' concern is that a bypass should be constructed near Chandani Chowk, the town's central hub, to ease heavy traffic. It is to be noted that the Golden Trunk road (GT Road) runs through the area.
Locals also highlight that the site is prone to flooding during the monsoon, with water spilling onto roads and damaging crops in surrounding rural areas. Alongside these concerns, unemployment remains a pressing issue for the community.
Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 on 121 constituencies was held on November 6 and it recorded a voter turnout of 65.08 per cent.
The remaining 122 seats will go to the polls in the second phase on November 11. Results will be declared on November 14.