Patna: The central question dominating Darbhanga teachers’ constituency is whether incumbent Congress MLC and former minister Madan Mohan Jha can score a hat-trick of victories in this election.The election for the constituency of Bihar legislative council, scheduled for Oct 23, is triggered by impending expiry of Jha’s current six-year term on Nov 16.Jha, who has represented the constituency since 2014 and previously served two terms as an MLA of Manigachhi, faces the most volatile and fragmented political environment the region has seen in over a decade. Analysts suggest that while Jha maintains a strong edge rooted in high personal brand equity and deep familial roots in the Mithilanchal academic circuit, a third consecutive victory is far from guaranteed.Unlike the straightforward bipolar contest of 2020, Jha’s campaign faces a severe compression due to a breakdown in coordination within the opposition Mahagathbandhan. While central functionaries intended to back Jha, RJD broke ranks to field Kumar Rai, and CPM fielded Ramdev Rai. This friendly opposition split threatens to slice away pieces of Jha’s traditional base, making it difficult to secure the required votes for a straight victory.Simultaneously, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj has heavily targeted this seat, fielding Suresh Prasad Rai, the vice-president of Bihar Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh. Rai, who finished a close second to Jha in 2020 as a BJP candidate, shifted allegiance after the seat went to the JD(U) pool.Backed by Jan Suraaj’s image and Kishor’s promise to resolve 7th Pay Commission anomalies, Rai directly appeals to teachers’ ’ core union concerns. Drawing on Jan Suraaj’s appeal and Kishor’s promise to resolve 7th Pay Commission anomalies, Rai seeks to win over teachers by addressing their key demands.Capitalising on this multi-cornered division is Ghanshyam Rai, the official JD(U) candidate representing the ruling NDA. If anti-BJP votes fracture among Jha, RJD and Jan Suraaj, the NDA bloc’s vote consolidation could heavily tilt the scales in Ghanshyam Rai’s favour.With 13 candidates in the fray for the seat, the high-stakes battle will culminate when vote counting begins on Oct 27.
