Who's Satish Kumar Yadav from BJP's 3rd list challenging Tejashwi
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its third list of 18 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, fielding Satish Kumar Yadav from Raghopur. The constituency is a high-profile seat, as it will see a direct contest between him and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, the former deputy chief minister. The BJP's decision comes under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing arrangement, with all 101 seats allotted to it now declared.
Career path
Who is Satish Kumar Yadav
Satish, a member of the Yadhuvanshi community, started his political career with the RJD before moving to Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) in 2005. He first contested from Raghopur in 2005 but lost to Rabri Devi. However, he turned the tables in 2010, defeating her by over 13,000 votes. In 2015, he lost to her son Tejashwi from Raghopur.
Constituency profile
Raghopur a politically significant constituency
Raghopur is a politically significant constituency in Bihar's Vaishali district. It has been a stronghold of the Yadav family, with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Devi winning multiple times. Tejashwi won twice from here in 2015 and 2020. The Yadav caste accounts for around 31% of the population in Raghopur. In addition to Yadavs, the Rajput community has a sizable population in the region.
Election strategy
Candidates for other constituencies also announced
The BJP's third list also includes candidates from other constituencies, such as Ranvijay Singh from Goh, Sangeeta Kumari from Mohania, and Bharat Bind from Bhabua. In this election, folk singer Maithili Thakur will also be making her political debut from the Alinagar seat in Darbhanga district. Meanwhile, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) has announced candidates for six seats allotted to them under the NDA arrangement. The elections will be held on November 6 and November 11.