As the Bihar Assembly elections draw closer, the political heat is intensifying. While the contest was previously considered to be between the NDA and the India Alliance, the entry of Azad Samaj Party Kanshi Ram, led by Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad from UP, has made the competition even more interesting. The party has announced its intention to contest 100 seats in Bihar, which poses a challenge, especially for the Grand Alliance and the RJD.
Chandrashekhar's strategy is clear — to establish a bhold over the Dalit vote bank, particularly the Ravidas community, and to present himself as a b alternative.
Preparations Complete for 100 Seats
At a press conference held in Patna on Wednesday, the state president of Azad Samaj Party, Jauhar Azad, clarified that the party will field its candidates on 100 assembly seats. He informed that assembly in-charges have been announced for 60 of these seats, and preparations for the remaining 40 seats are in the final stages.
Jauhar Azad said that the party's organization has been strengthened up to the booth level, and work has also started on the election campaign strategy. The party's main focus is on social justice, Dalit rights, and bringing forward youth leadership.
Direct Competition to the Grand Alliance
The Azad Samaj Party claims that it will have a direct contest with the Grand Alliance on 46 of the 100 seats it will contest. Jauhar Azad alleged that the Grand Alliance is not taking all sections of society along, which is causing discontent among the public.
The party also announced that a national convention will be organized in Patna on July 21, in which party chief Chandrashekhar Azad himself will participate. During the convention, the strategy for the Bihar elections will be finalized, and a roadmap will be drawn for further strengthening the organization.
LJP (Ram Vilas) Retaliates
The LJP (Ram Vilas) has reacted sharply to the announcement of Chandrashekhar Azad's party contesting the elections. Party spokesperson Shashi Bhushan Prasad said that contesting elections is everyone's right in a democracy, but it will not make any difference to the LJP.
He claimed that the Dalit community, especially the Paswan community, still stands firmly with Chirag Paswan. He also said that Chirag Paswan has emerged as the biggest leader of the Dalits at this time, and people's faith in his leadership is unwavering.
RJD May Suffer Losses
Political analysts believe that the entry of the Azad Samaj Party could create difficulties for the Grand Alliance, especially for the RJD. Senior journalist Santosh Kumar says that Chandrashekhar Azad's focus is on the voters of the Ravidas community, who have so far been considered supporters of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party or CPI (ML).
He said, if Chandrashekhar succeeds in attracting even a small portion of these voters, the election results could be affected in many seats. There are many seats in Bihar where a difference of even 500 to 1000 votes proves decisive.
Santosh Kumar believes that the way Chandrashekhar Azad is moving forward with the agenda of youth and social justice, it will definitely cause losses to the Grand Alliance.
NDA Does Not See a Big Impact
However, experts are of the opinion that the entry of the Azad Samaj Party will not have any significant impact on the NDA. Analysts say that the political leanings of the Ravidas and Paswan communities have been different. Chirag Paswan has a b hold on the Paswan voters, and they are still associated with the NDA.
Therefore, the NDA does not need to fear Chandrashekhar Azad's challenge at the moment, but the Grand Alliance may now have to make changes in its strategy. Especially in the seats where Dalit votes play a decisive role, the influence of the Azad Samaj Party cannot be ignored.
