In Madhepura, the birth place of B P Mandal of Mandal Commission fame it is the intra-Mandal battle for ballots, which is attracting attention. Now all eyes are on the anti-Mandal force as their support is crucial to ensure the victory of any candidate.

The three prominent contestants come from the social class which was benefited politically by the Mandal Commission.

The Janata Dal (United) national chief, Sharad Yadav, is once again in the fray. The RJD has fielded heavyweight, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, while the BJP has put up Vijay Kushwaha, the husband of Renu Kumari Kushwaha, till March 10, minister in the Nitish cabinet. She resigned only after her husband joined the BJP in the election rally of Narendra Modi in Purnea on March 10.

Sharad Yadav, though fighting with his back to wall this time, has the distinction of defeating RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the 1999 Lok Sabha election held after the Kargil intrusion.

Ever since 1998 the constituency has witnessed a ding-dong battle between Lalu and Sharad. In 1998 the former won, but a year later the JD(U) chief took revenge. Again in 2004 Lalu bagged the seat.

In 2009 Sharad again won while Lalu did not contest from here.

Pappu, who enjoys a strongman image, had represented both Purnea and Madhepura in Parliament, as an Independent as well as RJD member.

In this Yadav stronghold Muslims form 12 per cent (1,95745) of total voters of 16,71,897. But the Rashtriya Janata Dal is not too sure of getting all the M-Y votes. As Sharad too is a Yadav and a national level leader he may, in spite of the best effort of the RJD, get some Yadav votes. Besides, the relationship between Muslims and Yadavs are not too cordial, because of what a Madhepura-watcher, without wishing to be quoted, said the “bullying tactic of some Yadavs.”

Yet Pappu appears fully confident of getting the M-Y support on his own basis.

Sharad, who is originally from Madhya Pradesh and had contested elections even in UP, shifted to Bihar at the instance of none else but Lalu Yadav in 1990s.

But now Madhepura is like his home. After all this time his party is leaving no stone unturned with chief minister Nitish Kumar virtually camping here for the last 10 days.

As BJP candidate is banking on the Kushwaha votes, plus the NaMo factor it is the rush for the upper caste votes in this constituency, which is being watched keenly. The BJP will certainly try to woo them though it is organizationally weak and has not put up its candidate in the last many election.

Though in the heydays of the Mandal movement in early 1990s Rajputs and Yadavs had clashed in the region yet years later the leaders of the two castes, Anand Mohan Singh and Pappu Yadav, shared a dais. It appeared that the enmity between the two have somewhat come down.

Anand Mohan was always inclined towards the NDA. His Bihar Peoples Party got full support of the BJP and Janata Dal (United), but then the politics took another twist and a few years back the then SSP of Patna publicly thrashed him at Patna railway station.

However, sometimes later chief minister Nitish Kumar called on his mother during a visit.

Anamd Mohan is serving a life sentence for killing Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah in 1994.

Sharad last week visited Panchchgachia village and met Anand Mohan’s mother Gita Devi to seek her blessing.

What is more he claimed that it was at his instance that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gave ticket to his wife, Lovely Anand, a former MP, to contest from Seohar Lok Sabha seat.

The Rajput votes are the deciding factor in this constituency. As elsewhere in Bihar, both BJP and RJD, are trying their level best to woo the vote of this caste.

The Janata Dal (United) is also busy in roping in non-Yadav voters, especially of EBCs and Mahadalits.

Though this constituency was ravaged by a devastating flood in 2008 it is interesting to find that in 2009 Lok Sabha poll the NDA swept all half a dozen or so constituencies in which the Kosi water wreaked havoc in 2008. If the flood water could not become an issue then how could it become now.
Politics is once again revolving around caste and NaMo factor.