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With just about a week remaining before the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on November 11, the Bettiah Assembly seat, which falls under the Pashchim Champaran Lok Sabha constituency, is witnessing an interesting contest.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded five-time MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, while Washi Ahmad is contesting on behalf of the Mahagathbandhan. Anil Kumar Singh is contesting from Jan Suraaj; however, the main contest is between Devi and Ahmad. Bettiah is a general constituency, not reserved for any category. It serves as an important agricultural and commercial centre, known for its brass, metalware, and leather industries. The region, which is part of North Bihar, often experiences floods; meanwhile, unemployment is also a significant issue in the area. The key local issues in the constituency revolve around poor road conditions, traffic congestion, and inadequate drainage systems. Bettiah was also part of Mahagathbandhan's campaign during the Voter Adhikar Yatra earlier this year. Although the area has a significant Muslim population, accounting for around 40%, political observers suggest that the Mahagathbandhan may struggle to consolidate this vote base, as its candidate lacks strong recognition in the region. NDA candidate Renu Devi has been a prominent political figure in the constituency, securing four consecutive victories from 2000 to 2010. However, she faced a setback in 2015, losing to Congress candidate Madan Mohan Tiwari. She made a strong comeback in 2020, reclaiming the seat by once again defeating Tiwari. In the 2010 elections, Renu Devi, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), defeated Independent candidate Anil Kumar Jha by a decisive margin of 28,789 votes, securing 42,010 votes against Jha's 13,221 votes. In 2015, she narrowly lost to Madan Mohan Tiwari of the Congress by 2,320 votes, polling 64,466 votes compared to Tiwari's 66,786 votes. Demonstrating her enduring popularity, Renu Devi returned victorious in 2020, defeating Tiwari by a margin of 18,079 votes. She garnered 84,496 votes, while Tiwari managed 66,417 votes, marking her fifth term as MLA from the constituency. Meanwhile, campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar elections will come to a halt on Tuesday evening. Voting for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14. (ANI)
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