Siwan (Bihar) [India], November 14 : BJP candidate and Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey won the Siwan assembly constituency with a vote margin of over 9,000 votes, defeating Rashtriya Janata Dal's candidate Awadh Bihari Choudhary.
Results from all 26 rounds of counting showed Pandey finishing with 92,379 votes, winning by 9,370 votes over his closest rival.
RJD's Awadh Bihari Choudhary secured 83,009 votes, falling short despite a strong voter base in previous elections. Intekhab Ahmad from the Jan Suraaj Party received 2,543 votes, a deficit of 89,836 votes. Mohammad Kaifi Samshir from AIMIM secured 3,493 votes, losing by 88,886 votes. The remaining candidates lagged far behind, with each trailing by massive margins.
The Siwan constituency has a history of one-sided victories, though the past three elections have witnessed increasingly tight contests. The Muslim-Yadav (MY) factor, which was the primary vote bank of Mahagathbandhan, was expected to play a decisive role in this battle, given that Muslims make up around 20% of the electorate. At the same time, the Yadav community also commands a substantial share of votes in Siwan.
Targeting the significant chunk of the Muslim vote bank in the constituency, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Jan Suraaj fielded Mohammad Kaifi Shamshir and Intekhaf Ahmad Jan.
Awadh Bihari Choudhary stands out as the most successful politician in the Siwan constituency, having represented it six times. Notably, he first held the seat in 1985 and won it successfully between 1985 and 2005.
Mangal Pandey, a seasoned BJP leader who began his political journey with the RSS in 1988 and formally joined the BJP in 1998, has served as a minister in multiple Nitish Kumar-led governments since 2013. Pandey is credited with contributing to Siwan's development through the establishment of a district hospital, though persistent doctor shortages remain a lingering concern.
In the 2010 Assembly elections, BJP's Vyasdeo Prasad triumphed in Siwan with 51,637 votes, defeating RJD's Awadh Bihari Choudhary, who secured 39,096 votes, a winning margin of 12,541. The BJP managed to retain the seat in 2015, but the victory margin narrowed as JD(U) candidate Bablu Prasad put up a strong challenge, polling 51,622 votes against Vyasdeo Prasad's 55,156.
However, in 2020, Awadh Bihari Choudhary reclaimed the Siwan seat for the RJD after a 15-year gap, narrowly defeating BJP's Om Prakash Yadav by just 1,973 votes. Choudhary garnered 76,785 votes, while Yadav secured 74,812, marking a closely fought comeback for the veteran leader.
Meanwhile, according to the Election Commission, as of now, the NDA has secured the majority mark of 122 seats, winning 197 seats. The BJP has won 88 seats. The JDU has won 82, LJP (RV) has won 18, RLM has won 4, and HAM has won 5.
The RJD has also won 24 seats. The Congress has won 6, CPI (ML)(L) 2 and CPI(M) 1, setting the Mahagathbandhan tally at 33.
The NDA's performance in Bihar can be attributed to the strong show by major parties like the BJP and JD(U), with comprehensive support from Chirag Paswan's LJP(RV) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
It's worth noting that Bihar recorded a historic 67.13% voter turnout, the highest since 1951, with women voters outnumbering men (71.6% vs 62.8%).