Patna,(BiharTimes): On Thursday (April 10) BJP’s prime ministerial pick, Narendra Modi, addressed election meetings at Ara, Jehanabad and Bikram in Patna district.

This is the first time in this election in Bihar that the prime ministerial nominee has called on the voters of a block-level town like, Bikram. 

He was there to seek votes for the BJP’s candidate, Ram Kripal Yadav, who crossed over from the RJD only recently and is posing a challenge to Misa Bharati, the daughter of RJD chief, Lalu Prasad. 
As Bikram falls in the largely ruralized Patliputra parliamentary constituency the party thought it better to organize an election meeting in this block as it has a sizeable Bhumihar votes. The BJP did not deem it fit to hold a rally in the western part of the Patna urban area as only on October 27 the party organized a big Hunkar Rally in the state capital.

As Bhumihars form a strong support base he chose to be personally present in this Assembly segment of Patliputra. There are Yadav voters also in this segment and the party is trying to woo them too.

The problem with the saffron party is that, Indu Bhushan, the son of Ranvir Sena chief, (now late) Brahmeshwar Singh Mukhiaji, is contesting from Patliputra and some Bhumihar votes may go to him. 
Apart from Bikram, the party organized rallies in Jehanabad, where Arun Kumar of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party is in the fray and Ara where he sought votes for Raj Kumar Singh, the former Union home secretary.

The RLSP has joined the alliance only recently and Modi made it a poinht to address its meeting. Arun Kumar too is a Bhumihar and in Jehanabad fellow casteman, Anil Kumar Sharma of Amarpalli group, is contesting on Janata Dal (United) ticket. 

In Ara too both R K Singh and the sitting MP of Janata Dal (United), Meena Singh, are both Rajputs. RJD has fielded Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha.

So Modi’s rallies in these three places were carefully planned as the party fear division of Bhumihar and Rajput votes.

Political observers are a bit surprised over the way the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate is now visiting even small towns. In the past the PM or primme ministerial candidates used to address meetings at some divisional level towns or some politically important constituencies. “But Modi efforts show that the party is either not too sure of sweeping the election in Bihar or it does not want to leave any stone unturned,” said a Bihar watcher.