With the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, political activities are escalating. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key leaders are frequently visiting the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also actively participating in these efforts to engage with voters. His visit to Sitamarhi, focusing on the Janaki Temple redevelopment, strategically targets the 49 assembly constituencies within the Tirhut division.
Shah’s itinerary includes Darbhanga and Punauradham, Sitamarhi. He will inaugurate the Janaki Temple redevelopment project, valued at over ₹882.87 crore. This location is considered the birthplace of Goddess Sita. The ceremony will be attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other Union Ministers. The temple complex will be spread across 67 acres and is scheduled to be completed within 11 months, inspired by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra in Ayodhya. Punauradham is located about 5 kilometers west of the Sitamarhi district headquarters.
The Tirhut division, also known as the Tirhut Commissionerate, encompasses six districts: Muzaffarpur (headquarters), Sitamarhi, West Champaran (Bettiah), East Champaran (Motihari), Vaishali (Hajipur), and Sheohar. These districts have a combined total of 49 assembly seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited East Champaran on July 18th. This region is regarded as a significant base for the BJP and the NDA. Amit Shah’s goal is to either maintain or improve upon the NDA’s performance in the 2020 elections.
The NDA holds a strong position in Muzaffarpur district, winning 6 of the 11 seats. The NDA currently retains these 6 seats. In 2020, Musafir Paswan of the VIP, who contested the Bochahan seat with the NDA, won. Following his death, his son joined the RJD and won the 2022 by-election.
West Champaran has been a BJP stronghold, with the NDA winning 8 out of 9 seats in the 2020 elections. The BJP secured 7 seats, while its ally, the JDU, won one. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan managed to win only one seat from Sikta, won by CPI-ML.
In East Champaran, the NDA won 9 out of 12 seats. The BJP secured 8 seats, the JDU won one, and the RJD won 3 seats.
Vaishali district is a key political area in Bihar, largely dominated by the Yadav community and considered a stronghold for Lalu Yadav. It comprises 8 assembly seats, with the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan each securing 4 seats. The BJP won 3 of the NDA’s seats, the RJD also won 3, and its ally, the Congress, won one.
Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD leader and a potential Chief Ministerial candidate, won the 2020 election from the Raghopur seat. His parents, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, have also won from this seat.
Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Goddess Sita, has 8 assembly seats. The NDA won 6, with the BJP winning 4 seats. The RJD won 2 seats. In Sheohar, the Mahagathbandhan won the only seat in the 2020 election. However, the winning candidate, Chetan Anand, later joined the JDU, shifting the seat to the NDA.
The NDA has a strong presence in this division. In the 2020 elections, the BJP fielded candidates in 110 seats, winning 74, and becoming the second-largest party. The JDU’s seat count dropped to 43. Nitish Kumar led the NDA government. The BJP gained 27 seats from the Tirhut division. The BJP-led NDA won 33 out of the 49 seats, and the BJP alone secured 27, making this division strategically vital for the BJP.