LALAN BHUINYA’S ENTRY HEATED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE

LALAN BHUINYA’S ENTRY HEATED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE

15-OCT-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA--------------------------The Kutumba seat in Aurangabad is once again in the headlines for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. This seat is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and has been held by the Congress for the past two elections. Now, for the third time, the NDA has made a new political move by awarding this seat to Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Hum). This time, the party has fielded former MLA Lalan Ram, also known as Lalan Bhuinya, as its candidate.

Congress has a strong hold, but Lalan's entry has changed the equation.

Congress has won the Kutumba assembly seat twice in a row. In 2015, Congress's Rajesh Ram defeated NDA candidate and then-minister Santosh Suman. Congress maintained its lead in 2020, when "Hum" party candidate Shravan Bhuinya faced defeat.

However, this time the equation is completely different—Lallan Bhuniya's return has increased the difficulties for the Congress.

Cut 20,000 votes as an independent

In the last assembly elections, Lallan Bhuniya, contesting as an independent candidate, secured approximately 20,000 votes. These votes were a major factor in dividing the anti-Congress camp, ultimately leading to the victory of Congress candidate Rajesh Ram.

Political observers believe that if Lalan Bhuniya had been the NDA candidate at that time, the result might have been different.

JDU Background and Closeness to Nitish Kumar

Lalan Bhuniya is known as a grassroots and open-minded politician. He has previously served as an MLA on a JDU ticket and is considered close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. His grassroots presence and direct contact with party workers make him a strong candidate for this seat.

Hum Party gets a third chance

Awarding this seat to Jitan Ram Manjhi's party, Hum, within the NDA is a sign that the NDA leadership continues to have confidence in Manjhi.

However, after two defeats, giving the HAM party a third chance is considered a political risk. However, the alliance hopes that the candidacy of an experienced and local leader like Lalan Bhuinya could turn the tables in Kutumba this time.

The contest is Congress versus NDA, but the internal politics is interesting.

This time, the Kutumba battle will be a straightforward contest between the Congress and the NDA (HAM), but the internal dynamics are more complex than ever.

Congress's Rajesh Ram is seeking his third victory, while the NDA's Lalan Bhuinya is now attempting a "political comeback" from the same seat.

Lalan's hold in rural areas and the HAM party's activism have made the contest exciting and unpredictable.

This Kutumba battle is not just for one assembly seat, but also a test of the new equation in Dalit politics.

For the NDA, this seat has become a "prestige battle," while the Congress wants to maintain its traditional stronghold.

Now it remains to be seen whether Lallan Bhuiyan will be able to convert his old popularity into votes and give a new turn to the political story of the family or will Congress win once again.