2024-04-26 03:43:27
Kishanganj: In the Lok Sabha elections 2024, everyone’s eyes are on Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat of Bihar. This is the only seat in Bihar which was won by the Congress candidate in 2019. Voting for Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat is to be held in the second phase on Friday, April 26. A total of 12 candidates are in the fray, including Congress, JDU, AIMIM, BSP, Bharatiya Samaj Paksha Dal and 7 independent candidates. From here, a direct contest is being considered between current Congress MP Dr. Mohammad Javed Azad and AIMIM’s Akhtarul Iman. As NDA candidate, JDU’s Mujahid Alam is trying with all his might to make the contest triangular. This time 18 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in Kishanganj Lok Sabha.
What are the issues of Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat?
The foundation of Aligarh Muslim University was laid in Kishanganj during the Manmohan Singh government. Land has also been allotted for AMU, but Aligarh Muslim University has not been started. This has been the biggest issue of this area for almost 25 years. Every year floods cause huge devastation. To get rid of this problem, people have been demanding Mahananda Basin Project for years. But all this has become just an election issue. From a geographical point of view, this district should have been a hub of industries, but apart from agriculture there is nothing special here. This district is counted among the most backward districts of the country. It is also one of the leading districts in the country in terms of illiteracy.
Geographically there are immense possibilities in Kishanganj district.
If we look at the geographical location of the district, there is a lot of potential here in the fields of industry, trade, health and education. The district is bordered by West Bengal from the east, north and south. It is bordered by North Dinajpur district and Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Also, Araria and Purnia districts of Bihar are also adjacent to Kishanganj. Apart from this, Kishanganj district shares many borders with Bangladesh and Nepal in the west at a distance of 20 kilometers. Yet this district is counted among the most backward and illiterate districts of the country.
Congress won in the triangular contest in 2019 elections.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, there were a total of 16 lakh 69 thousand 651 voters and with 66.376 percent voting, a total of 11 lakh 1 thousand 603 voters had voted. Dr. Mohammad Javed got success from Congress. He got 3 lakh 67 thousand 17 votes. While NDA candidate Mahmood Ashraf of JDU stood second by securing 3 lakh 32 thousand 551 votes, Akhtarul Iman of AIMIM secured 2 lakh 95 thousand 29 votes. Overall the contest was triangular.
Kishanganj is considered the stronghold of Congress.
Kishanganj is a Muslim dominated district. The population of Muslim community here is approximately 70 percent. Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat includes parts of Kishanganj and Purnia districts. If we look at the last three Lok Sabha elections, this seat can be considered a stronghold of Congress. In 2009 and 2014, Congress candidate late Maulana Asrarul Haq Kazmi won the elections and became MP. After his death, in 2019, Congress had fielded Dr. Mohammad Javed by giving ticket and he was successful in giving success to Congress on the only Kishanganj seat in entire Bihar.
Interestingly, in 2019, when NDA won 39 out of 40 seats in Bihar, Kishanganj was the only seat where Congress won on behalf of the Grand Alliance. During the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, Asaduddin Owaisi’s party AIMIM contested the elections in Seemanchal region and fielded candidates on many seats and won 5 seats. Out of the five seats on which Owaisi’s party had won, four assembly constituencies namely Bahadurganj, Kochadhaman, Amour, Baisi, Kishanganj come under Lok Sabha while Jokihat assembly of Araria is on Kishanganj border.
JDU candidate trying to make the contest hung in Kishanganj
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections also, the Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat has gone to the Congress in the grand alliance and once again the Congress has given the ticket to the sitting MP Dr. Javed. On the NDA side, Janata Dal United has made former Kochadhaman MLA Mujahid Alam its candidate. On the other hand, Owaisi, on behalf of his party, has again made Bihar State President and MLA Akhtarul Iman his candidate in the Kishanganj Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, the main contest is between these three parties.
History of Kishanganj parliamentary seat
election yearwinning candidateswinning party1957Mohammad TahirCongress1962Mohammad TahirCongress1967Lakhan Lal KapoorPraja Socialist Party1971Jamilur RahmanCongress1977Haleemuddin Janata Party1980-1984Haleemuddin RahmanCongress1989MJ AkbarCongress1991Syed ShahabuddinJanata Dal1996 98Mohammed TaslimuddinRJD1999Syed Shahnawaz HussainBJP2004Mohammad TaslimuddinRJD2009Mohammad Asrarul HaqCongress2014Mohammad Asrarul Haq QasmiCongress2019Mohammad JavedCongress
AIMIM’s path seems easy
There is clearly a stir in the Grand Alliance regarding Owaisi’s interference in the Seemanchal region. The way Owaisi had spoiled the game of the Grand Alliance in this area in 2020, the fear of the same is haunting RJD and Congress in the Lok Sabha elections this time. AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi has been camping in Kishanganj continuously for the last four days. Residents were seen doing road shows even at the Panchayat level. His efforts were visible in that he reached as many areas as possible at least once. People’s passion for him seemed to be crossing limits. Seeing the crowd gathering in the meetings, questions are being raised as to how much influence they will be able to have in the votes.
‘Bihar grand alliance cannot defeat BJP’ Asaduddin Owaisi attacked Tejashwi Yadav in Kishanganj
Teachers came out in support of Owaisi without worrying about government job
The craze towards Owaisi has increased to such an extent that Mohd., a government teacher of Thakurganj assembly. Without caring about his job, Hasnain has openly jumped into the election campaign in support of Owaisi. The education department has also started action regarding this. In the first two days of the Kishanganj camp, Owaisi attacked PM Modi’s speeches and in the remaining two days he raised hue and cry over the failures of Congress MP Dr Javed and the backwardness of the district. Most of the Muslim youth of the district are seen crossing all limits in their craze for AIMIM.
Kishanganj Lok Sabha: Those who broke the mosque and those who got the mosque demolished are standing in front, Akhtarul Iman said after nomination.
If we look at the history of this seat, for the first time in 1957 and 1962, Mohammad Tahir of Congress reached Parliament by winning elections from here. After this, for the first time in 1967, Hindu candidate Lakhan Lal Kapoor had won the election from here. The name of Lakhan Lal Kapoor’s party was Praja Socialist Party. In 1971, Jamilur Rahman of Congress became MP. In 1977, Halimuddin became MP from Janata Party. In 1980-1984, Halimuddin Rahman again became MP on Congress ticket. In 1989, the country’s famous journalist MJ Akbar reached Parliament after winning the election from here on Congress ticket.
In 1991, Syed Shahabuddin from Janata Dal reached Parliament by defeating MJ Akbar. In 1996, Mohammad Taslimuddin became MP from Janata Dal. In 1998, Mohammad Taslimuddin again became MP from Lalu Yadav’s party RJD. In 1999, BJP registered victory here. Taslimuddin Syed Shahnawaz Hussain became MP after defeating. In 2004, Mohammad Taslimuddin was again elected MP from RJD. In 2009, Congress leader Mohammad Asrarul Haq became MP. In 2014 also, Mohammad Asrarul Haq Qasmi won on Congress ticket for the second consecutive time. 2019 Lok Sabha elections Mohammad Javed from Congress won the election.