Patna: The Mahagathbandhan suffered significant setbacks in the Bihar assembly by-elections, with Jan Suraj emerging as a major disruptor. The party cut into Mahagathbandhan votes across the four contested seats, particularly in Imamganj and Belagnj, where its strong performance contributed to the alliance’s defeat.
In Imamganj, Jan Suraj secured 37,106 votes, playing a crucial role in the outcome. HAM candidate Deepa Manjhi claimed victory with a margin of 5,945 votes, while the RJD candidate garnered 47,490 votes. The significant share of votes captured by Jan Suraj proved detrimental to RJD’s chances.
Belagnj also witnessed Jan Suraj’s impact. JDU’s Manorama Devi emerged victorious with the largest margin of the by-elections, defeating RJD by 21,391 votes. RJD secured 51,993 votes, while Jan Suraj obtained 17,285 votes, further weakening the Mahagathbandhan’s position.
In Tarari, where BJP triumphed by 10,612 votes, Jan Suraj again played the spoiler, though its vote count was lower at 5,622. CPI (ML), part of the Mahagathbandhan, secured 64,143 votes but fell short due to the divided electorate.
Ramgarh saw a closer contest, with BJP narrowly defeating the BSP by 1,362 votes. Here too, Jan Suraj played a disruptive role, capturing 6,513 votes. BSP came in second with 60,895 votes, while the RJD candidate finished third, marking another setback for the Mahagathbandhan.
