Interesting things are happening in Bihar where by-polls for one Lok Sabha and five Vidhan Sabha seats had taken place. These elections are being seen as a curtain-raiser to the assembly elections set to take place next year.
All the five assembly seats, except for Kishanganj, are held by National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Currently, the ruling alliance is ahead on just one of them – Nathnagar. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Tejaswi Yadav is holding the lead in Simri-Bakhtiarpur and Belhar while an Independent candidate is leading in the Daraundha constituency.
Interesting trends are emerging in the Kishanganj constituency which is currently held by Congress. The candidate who holds the lead at the moment belongs to Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). This party has been trying to establish itself as a major force in north Indian states but has failed so far.
What these results may suggest is discontent against the current government which has battled charges of mishandling natural disasters and epidemics. The arrival of AIMIM on the scene could also suggest growth of that party in Bihar. This sets the stage for an intriguing contest in 2020.
The Samastipur Lok Sabha seat which got vacated due to the death of Ramchandra Paswan, Ram Vilas Paswan's brother, is being contested for by the late MP's son. He is currently leading.
