BJP's Vijay Sinha eyes fourth term as Lakhisarai, Surayagarha gear up for high-stakes Bihar polls

Lakhisarai (Bihar) [India], October 30 (ANI): The political landscape in Lakhisarai district is gearing up for an intense contest, with both its Assembly constituencies--Lakhisarai and Surayagarha- set to play a crucial role in the first phase of Bihar elections on November 6.
The region, known for its mining activities, will witness heavyweight leaders and debutants battling for voter confidence.
In the Lakhisarai constituency, BJP's Vijay Kumar Sinha, who has represented the seat since 2010 and served as Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, is eyeing a fourth consecutive victory. He leader of the Bhumihar community, Sinha has been a dominant political figure in the district for over a decade.
He is challenged by Congress candidate Amaresh Kumar and new faces from non-political backgrounds, particularly Jan Suraaj Party's Suraj Kumar, both of whom aim to harness anti-incumbency sentiment and address local employment and mining issues.
In neighbouring Surayagarha, the political equations have seen dramatic changes.
Former RJD leader Pralad Yadav, who had won the seat in 2015 and 2020, later joined the Janata Dal (United). However, the JDU dropped his name from its list of candidates this time.
The seat will now witness a triangular contest between JDU's Ramanand Mandal, who belongs to the Kurmi community; RJD's Premsagar Choudhary, who has been the district spokesperson of the party from the district; and Jan Suraaj Party's Amit Sagar, in the region's politics.
As both constituencies head to the polls, Lakhisarai remains a district to watch, with its mix of caste dynamics, economic interests, and the growing influence of newer political outfits like Jan Suraaj.
In the 2010 Bihar Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the Surayagarha seat with a narrow win margin of 2.30 per cent, while registering a strong performance in Lakhisarai with a comfortable margin of 41.5 per cent.
Five years later, in the 2015 polls, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) gained ground in Surayagarha, winning the constituency with an 18.30 per cent margin. In contrast, the BJP managed to retain Lakhisarai with a reduced margin of 3.50 per cent.
In the 2020 Assembly elections, the RJD once again won from Surayagarha, though with a narrower margin of 5.10 per cent, while the BJP continued its hold over Lakhisarai, securing the seat by a 5.50 per cent margin.
Polling for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly is scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting set for November 14. (ANI)