Will 'Sita Dham' Politics Work In Bihar's Sitamarhi Constituency?
“Sita Dham” is the main election issue in the Sitamarhi constituency, revolving around the ancient and holiest Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Sita, Punaura Dham Janki Mandir. Sitamarhi, the mythological city of Bihar—its importance alluding to the birthplace of Mata Sita—adds a unique dimension to the political dynamics in this region. The shift from “Ram Mandir” to “Sita Dham’ has become the main election focus in the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha constituency, with a growing significance it has been given at the national level. Sitamarhi’s voting will be in the fifth phase of the election on Monday, May 20.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] are the two prominent parties in the constituency. Both parties have used ‘Sita Dham’ as a political weapon to secure their seats in the upcoming election. The NDA alliance has fielded Legislative Council Chairman and JD (U) leader Devesh Chandra Thakur in the constituency. Devesh Chandra Thakur belongs to the Brahmin caste and is considered a close aide to Nitish Kumar. JD (U) has canceled the ticket of sitting MP Sunil Kumar Pintu. The NDA pins its hopes on Devesh Chandra Thakur for the fourth consecutive win over Sitamarhi. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Sunil Kumar Pintu of JD (U) won this seat by a margin of 250,539 votes. He received 567,745 votes with a 55.0% vote share by defeating RJD”s Arjun Ray.
The RJD’s candidate, Arjun Ray, a farmer and politician from the INDIA bloc, is actively engaged in the electoral process by proposing the development of Punaura Dham. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also claims that the development of Punaura Dham has been due to their efforts.
According to The Hindu, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also adds to ‘Sita Dham’ politics and states that the party will construct a grand temple dedicated to the goddess Sita in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, and Bihar’s Chief Minister has laid the foundation stone of the development works at a cost of Rs 72.47 crore.
Sitamarhi Lok Sabha constituency is located in the East region of India, within the North Bihar region. It encompasses part of the Sitamarhi district and consists of six assembly seats: Sitamarhi, Runni Saidpur, Bajpatti, Riga, Bathnaha, Parihar, and Sursand. As per the 2020 Assembly Election, the BJP holds 3 MLA seats, the JD (U) holds 2, and the RJD holds 1 seat in Sitamarhi.
The Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat, previously known as Muzaffarpur East, was established during the second general election in 1957. The area is affected by Naxalite activities and is part of the Maoist Red Corridor. Additionally, its proximity to the Nepal border makes it sensitive from a security standpoint, prompting a high alert in the constituency.
According to the Indian Express, Sitamarhi constituency exhibits demographic diversity. It has approximately 5 lakh Vaishya voters, 2 lakh 80 thousand voters from extremely backward societies, and 2.5 lakh Muslim voters. Additionally, there are around 2 lakh voters from Yadav castes, 2 lakh 60 thousand voters from upper castes, and approximately 2 lakh voters from Dalit Mahadalit communities. The constituency also comprises 1.5 lakh Koeri-Kurmi voters. In total, Sitamarhi Lok Sabha constituency has 19 lakh, 24 thousand, and 566 voters.
(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project.)
