NEW GENERATION WANTS TO BECOME AN ALTERNATIVE IN BHOJPUR POLITICS

NEW GENERATION WANTS TO BECOME AN ALTERNATIVE IN BHOJPUR POLITICS

25-AUG-ENG 12

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------------The dominance of dynastic politics remains in Bhojpur. Many leaders' sons are strong contenders for tickets in the upcoming elections. Leaders like Rahul Tiwari from Shahpur, Vishal Prashant from Tarari and Raghavendra Pratap Singh from Barhara are carrying forward the political legacy of their families. The sons of current and former MLAs are also trying hard to get tickets.

Dynasty may have been an issue, but this has not reduced the importance of legacy politics. The effect of familyism and tradition in politics is once again clearly visible. The heirs of the leaders who prepared the ground for politics for decades are now calling themselves the next option. The pressure to bring the next generation forward has also increased in political parties, due to which the tug of war over ticket distribution has intensified.

Out of the seven assembly constituencies under Ara Lok Sabha, three are represented by leaders with inherited politics and this time too they are strong contenders for tickets. Shahpur MLA Rahul Tiwari is the son of RJD's big leader Shivanand Tiwari and has been winning elections for two consecutive times.

Father Shivanand Tiwari became MLA in 2001 on RJD ticket and was also made the Minister of Prohibition and Relief. He was also elected Rajya Sabha MP from JDU from 2009 to 2015. Before this, Rahul Tiwari's grandfather late Pandit Ramanand Tiwari was also an MLA and MP.

Vishal Prashant Piro, who became MLA by winning the by-election held last year in Tarari assembly, is the son of Sunil Pandey, who was MLA from Tarari. Among those who have made a name in politics by inheritance, Raghvendra Pratap Singh, who was elected MLA from Barhara six times, is also there. His father late Ambika Sharan Singh was also an MLA five times. The young faces among the sons of leaders are leaving no stone unturned to portray themselves as the future of politics.

Sons of present and former MLAs-MPs are in the race for tickets. In the race for the assembly election tickets, many sons of present and former MPs-MLAs are staking claim from different seats of Bhojpur.

Vishal Singh, son of former MP late Ajit Singh and Meena Singh, has recently been elected as the president of Biscoman and is being considered as a contender for the Ara assembly seat. His grandfather late Tapeshwar Singh was also a big face in Bihar politics.

Anand Raman Singh, son of Legislative Council Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh and BJP State Working Committee member, is active in the area regarding his claim from the Ara seat itself.

On the other hand, Sandesh MLA Kiran Devi, who is a close family of Lalu Prasad, and Deepu Ranawat, son of former MLA Arun Yadav, themselves want to reach the assembly.

Jagdishpur MLA Rambishun Lohia is also lobbying in RJD for his son Kishore Kunal alias Raju Yadav.

In Shahpur, Vikas Ranjan Ojha, son of former MLA Munni Devi and BJP leader Bhuar Ojha, is in the race for the ticket. At the same time, Rakesh Ojha, son of late Visheshwar Ojha, who was the state vice-president of BJP from the same family, is presenting himself as a contender for the ticket.