With Bihar assembly elections on the horizon, political maneuvers are intensifying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Bihar, aiming to boost development initiatives and influence the political landscape. On Friday, PM Modi will address a rally in Siwan, once the stronghold of Shahabuddin, focusing on constituencies in Siwan, Saran, and Gopalganj. The key question remains: Can the BJP reshape the political dynamics of the Saran division, considered a bastion of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav?
The Prime Minister’s two-day visit includes engagements in Bihar, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. He will inaugurate several development projects in Bihar and Odisha. Subsequently, he will participate in a mass yoga event in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, coinciding with International Yoga Day. This Bihar visit is particularly significant, given the upcoming October-November assembly elections. The BJP-led NDA currently holds power in Bihar, and PM Modi is keen to maintain its position.
PM Modi is scheduled to launch development projects in Siwan, including a foundation stone for a 500 MW battery energy storage system and projects related to water supply, sanitation, and STP with an investment of over ₹3,000 crore. He will also disburse the first installment to over 53,600 beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana and hand over keys to 6,684 urban poor families. This signifies the central government’s commitment to Bihar ahead of the elections.
The BJP aims to consolidate its position by targeting the Saran belt. PM Modi will address a massive public gathering in Jasouli village, Siwan, thereby reaching out to the districts of Saran, Siwan, and Gopalganj. This will be PM Modi’s sixth visit to Bihar in the past nine months since the NDA government’s return to power. Political analysts suggest that the rally aims to shift the political discourse in the Saran belt, traditionally a stronghold of Lalu Yadav.
The Saran division is considered an RJD stronghold. The BJP is making efforts to penetrate this stronghold, with PM Modi’s rally in Siwan as part of its strategy. Siwan has a legacy linked to the late Mohammad Shahabuddin, Chhapra was Lalu Prasad Yadav’s parliamentary constituency and Gopalganj, has seen dominance of Lalu Yadav’s party. In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, the Mahagathbandhan won six out of eight seats in Siwan, while the NDA secured only two. The NDA is hoping to gain new energy through the Prime Minister’s visit.