Lok Sabha polls: Religion more important factor than caste in Mithila region
PM Modi in Darbhanga began his public address with ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogan and described Mithila land of ‘King Janak and Goddess Sita’.
Darbhanga: In the land of Mithila in Bihar, Ram is echoing in the election campaign. On May 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his public address at Darbhanga with the ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogan and described Mithila region the land of ‘King Janak and Goddess Sita’ (mythological characters) with the hope that the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya would get the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) electoral dividends.
Less than 10 km from Darbhanga, Gulab Yadav, a 72-year-old from Yadav-dominated Bijli village talks about his switch in vote from Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to the BJP. “The biggest campaign plank in Mithila region is Ram in this election. Lalu no doubt is our leader and so is Tejaswi [Yadav], but they are leaders for the state. When the matter comes to the national interest, we will always vote for [PM] Narendra Modi because he has gone to arrange an abode for our Ram Lalla,” he said.
The Mithila region has four parliamentary constituencies – Darbhanga, Madhubani, Jhajharpur and Samastipur and the National Democratic Alliance won all four in 2019. With Lord Ram playing out in elections, the National Democratic Alliance [NDA] aims to repeat its feat.
Binod Kumar Mishra, 62, of Kamalpur village in Madhubani district said, Ram along with Sita, is a household name in Mithila and “how can we vote for a party that refused to attend the pran parishtha (consecration ceremony) functions of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya this year for us”.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad declined an invitation to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.
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Kamlesh Yadav, 40, of Raiyam Balia, said, “...No doubt Tejaswi is our chief ministerial candidate, but for national interest, he cannot be a substitute of Narendra Modi. Yadavs of our area have unanimously decided that in the Lok Sabha elections, they will vote for NDA as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the symbol of good governance in Independent India. Yadavs, despite being from an OBC caste, have always had an inclination for religion and Hindutva,” he said.
Religion appears to be a more important factor than caste in the Mithalia region, even for the voters who voted in favour Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD in the last Assembly elections as they appear to be tilting this time in favour of BJP-led NDA.
56-year-old Dilip Rai, a Yadav farmer from Samia village, said, “People often see our undisputed leader Lalu Prasad’s figure in Tejaswi, his son. But considering his age and experience in politics, we cannot gamble to vote for his party in the parliamentary elections....No one can deny that Modi not only launched many poor developmental programmes for this area but also boosted confidence among Hindu voters who in Congress rule had been sidelined,” he said.
A similar feeling was apparent even in the Mallah (Sahani) voters. A 52-year-old fisherman of Mallah-dominated Kusheshwarsthan village in Darbhanga district said, “...This time we have decided to vote for NDA which has been instrumental in making Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Also, one can’t deny that it was Nitish Kumar [chief minister of Bihar], who brought good governance in Bihar after decades of Lalu-Rabri jungle raj,” he said.
Murlidhar Jha, a University teacher in Darbhanga, also agrees that PM Modi’s rally has broken the caste alliance in the Mithila region. “The sitting NDA MPs are facing immense public ire and anti-incumbency, but Modi’s appeal will definitely polarise the voters in favour of NDA candidates. Most of the OBC voters will finally break the caste barriers,” he said.
However, the leaders of the INDIA alliance feel that tall claims of Ram Rajya or good governance by NDA will not sell among the mandate this time. “People are irritated with the false promises made by the Prime Minister and chief minister. Lack of employment and price rise are the major issues among the voters. This time, the cast combination of Muslims, Yadavs and Mallahs are so intact that our alliance is going to win all seats in Mithilanchal,” said Lalit Kumar Yadav, Bihar’s former land reforms minister, who is RJD nominee from Darbhanga seat in this election.
Echoing similar views, four-time Darbhanga RJD MP and party’s nominee from Madhubani seat, said that NDA is taking its last breath in Bihar. “Secular forces are united while the components of NDA are scattered. Their top campaigners are unable to keep their alliance partners intact. NDA will not even open its account here,” he claimed.
Gopaljee Thakur, the sitting MP from Darbhanga, said that ‘Modi ki guarantee’ will do the magic again. “Wo kitna bhi shor macha lein, aayega to Modi hi (They might create the noise, but finally Modi will come),” he remarked.
The BJP has once again fielded Thakur. He emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat goes to polls on May 13 in the fourth of the seven-phase parliamentary elections.