Bihar Legislative Council Polls: BJP Loses Patna Teacher Seat
Election results for eight Bihar Legislative Council seats have put both party performance and caste dynamics under the spotlight. Across four graduate and four teacher constituencies, Bhumihar candidates recorded a strong showing.
Among the eight winners, five are Bhumihars. The other three come from the Rajput, Yadav and Sahni communities.
The NDA bagged four seats, while the Mahagathbandhan secured one and Jan Suraaj won one. Two seats were taken by independent candidates.
Bhumihars and Rajputs each account for roughly 2 percent of Bihar's population.
Who won where
Patna Teacher constituency: Dr Sanjeev Kumar (RJD), Bhumihar
Darbhanga Teacher constituency: Dr Suresh Prasad Rai (JSP), Bhumihar
Tirhut Teacher constituency: Dr Narendra Kumar Singh (BJP), Bhumihar
Patna Graduate constituency: Shri Neeraj Kumar (JDU), Bhumihar
Darbhanga Graduate constituency: Shri Sarvesh Kumar (BJP), Bhumihar
Saran Teacher constituency: Rahul Raj (Independent), Rajput
Tirhut Graduate constituency: Vanshidhar Brijwasi (Independent), Sahni
Kosi Graduate constituency: N K Yadav (BJP), Yadav
BJP's defeat in Patna and gains in Tirhut
The BJP had held the Patna Teacher seat for three decades, but it lost the seat this time. The party did win the Darbhanga Graduate, Tirhut Teacher and Kosi Graduate constituencies, while the JDU secured the Patna Graduate seat.
The RJD's Sanjeev Kumar won the Patna Teacher seat for the Mahagathbandhan. In Darbhanga's Teacher constituency, Jan Suraaj's Suresh Rai came out on top. Independent candidates won in Tirhut Graduate and Saran Teacher.
A warning for the BJP
The BJP has lost two strong bases in the last two months. After the Bankipur setback, the loss of the Patna Teacher seat is seen as a sign of a serious political threat. The Patna Graduate contest was also notable for Anant Singh's rebellion and his statements.
Congress failed to hold on to its only seat and did not open its account in the Council. Jan Suraaj, after its win in Darbhanga, opened its own account in the Legislative Council.