Siwan is one of the constituencies from Bihar going to polls on 12 May 2019. It consists of the following assembly segments - Siwan, Ziradei, Darauli, Raghunathpur, Daraunda and Barharia. In 2019, the main battle is between JD(U)’s Kavita Singh and RJD’s Hina Shahab. Hina Shahab and Kavita Singh are charting their way through the very masculine Bihar political-scape of Election 2019 but the big question is did their parties choose them as dummy candidates for their muscle-flexing husbands? Shahab, the Rashtriya Janata Dal's contestant in Siwan, is the wife of four-term (1996 to 2004) MP Shahabuddin, convicted in multiple murder cases and debarred from contesting any election. Her opponent in Siwan, which votes on May 12, is Kavita Singh, a two-time MLA who is the Janata Dal(United) candidate and the wife of local muscleman Ajay Singh. He has been denied a ticket because of the many criminal cases against him. Past Results IN 2014, BJP’s Om Prakash Yadav won by 1.3 lakh votes, beating Hena Shahab of RJD. In 2009, Om Prakash Yadav – then an Independent – emerged victorious against Hena Shahab of RJD. List of candidates Serial No. Name Of Candidate Party Affiliation 1 KAVITA SINGH Janata Dal (United) 2 BALMIKI PRASAD GUPTA Bahujan Samaj Party 3 Hina SHAHAB Rashtriya Janata Dal 4 AMAR NATH YADAV Communist Party of India (Marxist- Leninist) (Liberation) 5 NARAD PANDIT Bharatiya Samta Samaj Party 6 PARMANAND GOND Swatantra Samaj Party 7 BIJAY BAHADUR SINGH Rashtriya Sahyog Party 8 ROHIT KUMAR YADAV Sanyukt Vikas Party 9 SHABANA Jai Prakash Janata Dal 10 SUDHIR KUMAR SINGH Shivsena 11 ANIL KUMAR VERMA Independent 12 ABHISHEK KUMAR Independent 13 AMARJIT PRASAD Independent 14 UPENDRA KUMAR GIRI Independent 15 JAI PRAKASH PRASAD Independent 16 DEVA KANT MISHRA Independent 17 MADHURI PANDEY Independent 18 SANJAY PRAJAPATEE Independent 19 SATYENDRA KUSHWAHA Independent The Battle for Bihar In Bihar, the seats going to vote in Phase VI are - Gopalganj, Maharajganj, Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Siwan, Vaishal and Valmiki Nagar. The contest in Bihar is mostly two-way with NDA pitted against Mahagathbandhan. While Janata Dal (United) is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which comprises of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Bihar Mahagathbandhan comprises Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP). The BJP will contest from Paschim Champaran (Bettiah), Purvi Champaran (Motihari), Muzaffarpur, Saran, Maharjaganj, Sheohar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Begusarai, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Ara, Buxar, Sasaram, Aurangabad and Araria. The JD(U) will field candidates from Valmikinagar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Jehanbad, Gaya, Karakat, Madhepura, Supaul, Jhanjharpur, Sitamarhi, Purnea, Kishanganj, Banka, Bhagalpur, Munger, Nalanda and Katihar. The Congress got nine constituencies as per the seat-sharing arrangements, while the RJD has 20 out of which it has forgone Ara in favour of the CPI(ML), which has returned the favour by announcing that the ultra-Left outfit would not field its candidate from Pataliputra, which would be contested by Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti. Besides, Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP is contesting five seats and Jitan Ram Manjhis HAM is fighting three. The VIP, founded and headed by Bollywood set designer-turned-politician Mukesh Sahni, has got three seats out of the 40 in Bihar. The Lok Sabha election in the state will be held in seven phases with the first one on April 11 and the last on May 19. The poll process will start on March 18 with the issuance of notification for filing of nomination papers for the first phase. The counting of votes will take place along with the rest of the country on May 23, the Election Commission had said. A total of 7.06 crore voters will exercise their franchise in 72,723 polling stations in the state.<doc-sep>Sitting inside his house on Gaushala Road of Siwan along with his ailing wife and grandsons, Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu, 80, looks stressed. Though Mohammad Shahabuddin is lodged in TIhar jail, Chanda Babu, who has lost three young sons, all murdered, just wants the elections in Siwan to be over. He does not talk of his preference or the mood in Siwan, once called the stronghold of Mhd Shahabuddin. “I have no interest, but I keep hearing people talk,” he says, when journalists approach him. On consistent prodding, he has only this to say: “Had Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siwan to address the people, the situation could have been different, as the present BJP MP lost his seat in the surprising seat adjustment within NDA. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi does politics in the name of Md Shahabuddin, but never came to understand my plight, though he did talk to me once after my third son was killed.” In Siwan, Md Shahabuddin’s wife Hena Sahab of the RJD is locked in a keen contest with JD-U’s Kavita Singh, wife of another local strongman. There are several other candidates in the fray and most of them wanted to use Chanda Babu’s poignant story to bolster their electoral prospects. “Shiv Sena candidate and former IPS officer Sudhir Kumar wanted me to campaign with him. He also wanted to use my picture in banners and posters. There was also pressure from JD-U candidate to attend meetings with her. But I have said no to all of them. My wife and grandchildren want me to stay away from all this. They have seen it all over the years and I have nothing to share. I am just a story for all, nothing more,” Chanda Babu says, while his grandchildren play around him. Also Read | Wives of two strongmen all set for Siwan face-off A relative of Chanda Babu, who does not want to be quoted, says he had been asked well in advance to stay away from all kinds of politics, as people would try to use him in their own way. “Whoever wins or loses, what difference will it make to him? Let’s only pray Siwan does not slip into its dark old days again.” Till a year ago, the enhanced security outside Chanda Babu’s house was a testimony to the threat perceptions he faced. Now, even that has been reduced, with just one guard standing outside his gate, but he hardly cares. He lives with his only remaining son, who is physically challenged. “Even death does not make me afraid any more. I am living till I have to for them. How will it make a difference whoever wins here,” he says, pointing to his grandchildren. Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, who was allegedly murdered by Shahabuddin’s henchmen, says NOTA is the only option for her in this election. “It is the election between the kin of two former dons. If the GA has fielded Sahab, wife of Sahabuddin, NDA is banking on Kavita, wife of another don. None is happy with the choices of both the alliances,” she says. None of the family members of slain JNU leader Chandrasekhar, BJP leader Srikant Bharti or CPI-ML activist Munna Choudhary were willing to talk about Siwan election. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Siwan constituency in Bihar<doc-sep>Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor<doc-sep>
Sikar Lok Sabha Constituency in Rajasthan goes to vote on May 6, 2019 in the fifth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha Election. It consists of the following assembly segments – Lachhmangarh, Dhod, Sikar, Danta Ramgarh, Khandela, Neem-Ka-Thana, Sri Madhopur and Chomu. The main showdown will be between Swami Sumedhanand Saraswati and Cong’s Subhash Maharia. SL. NO. Candidate Name Party Name 1 Amraram Communist Party of India (Marxist) 2 Sita Devi Bahujan Samaj Party 3 Subhash Maharia Indian National Congress 4 Sumedhanand Saraswati Bharatiya Janata Party 5 Vijendra Kumar Bhartiya Jan Satta Party 6 Shivbhagwan Sardiwal Dalit Soshit Pichhara Varg Adhikar Dal 7 Ajaypal Independent 8 Ankur Sharma Independent 9 Bansilal Kataria Independent 10 Bhagwan Sahay Independent 11 Bhagirath Singh Kharrte Bhadhadar Independent 12 Vikas Kumar Independent In 2014, Sumedhanand Saraswati of BJP got a margin of 2.39 lakh votes more than his INC rival Pratap Singh Jat. In 2009, Mahadev Singh of INC beat BJP's Subhash Maharai by 1.5 lakh votes. Battle for Rajasthan Polling will take place in Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur Lok Sabha constituencies on May 6, the fifth phase of voting nationwide. Union ministers Rajyavardhan Rathore (Jaipur rural) and Arjun Ram Meghwal (Bikaner), Congress MLA and Olympian Krishna Poonia (Jaipur rural), Bhanwar Jitendra Singh (Alwar) are some of the contestants in this last phase of polling in the state. As many as 134 candidates, including 12 from the Congress and 11 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, are in the fray. Just 16 candidates are women. Polling was held on April 29 in the state's other 13 constituencies. There are 2.30 crore registered voters in these 12 constituencies where 23, 783 polling stations have been set up. Jaipur rural seat is witnessing a contest between Olympians Rathore, who sought votes in Modi's name, and Poonia who seems to enjoy the support of the Jat community. Union Minister and a former IAS official Arjun Ram Meghwal is contesting against former IPS officer and Congress candidate Madangopal Meghwal.The two also happen to be cousins. In Nagaur, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) founder and former BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal is now fighting as his old party's ally from Nagaur against former MP and Congress candidate Jyoti Mirdha. Two Hindu 'sants', Sumedhanand Saraswati and Baba Balaknath, are trying their luck from Sikar and Alwar respectively, contesting on BJP tickets. Sumedhanand is the sitting MP from Sikar. In Dausa, both the BJP and Congress candidates are women. BJP has fielded former MP Jaskaru Meena against Congress nominee Savita Meena, the wife of party MLA Murari Meena. All 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan went to the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress, however, seemed to catch up lost ground by winning the assembly polls last year. In the latest phase of campaigning, the BJP continued with its focus on the surgical strike and the air strike against Pakistan-based terrorists, while also highlighting the UN designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. The Congress seemed to bank on `Nyay', the income support promise under which the poorest 20 per cent families will get Rs 6,000 a month if the party comes to power.