Narkatiaganj Constituency Prepares for High-Stakes 2025 Bihar Elections

The Narkatiaganj Assembly constituency in Bihar's Paschim Champaran district is gearing up for a significant electoral battle during the second phase of the state's assembly elections on November 11. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Sanjay Kumar Pandey, while the Congress has fielded Shashwat Kedar. Competing them are Md Motiur Rahman from the Bahujan Samaj Party and Md. Wasiullah representing the Jan Suraaj Party.

Currently, the BJP's Rashmi Varma holds the Assembly seat, having won the 2020 election with a 21,134-vote lead over Congress rival Vinay Varma. The voter turnout during that election was 61.99%, involving over 1,64,615 voters. Since Narkatiaganj's formation after the 2008 delimitation process, elections have taken place in 2010, 2014 by-election, 2015, and 2020.

In earlier elections, BJP's Satish Chandra Dubey secured victory in 2010, beating Congress' Alok Prasad Verma by 20,228 votes. Rashmi Varma retained the seat in the 2014 by-election. However, in 2015, Congress's Vinay Varma overturned the trend by defeating Renu Devi from BJP. By 2020, Rashmi Varma reclaimed the seat, again defeating Vinay Varma.

The 2020 election saw Rashmi Varma obtain 75,484 votes (45.85% of the vote share), whereas Vinay Varma collected 54,350 votes (33.02%). The electoral participation was robust at 62.02%. As of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the number of registered voters increased to 279,043, with significant representation from caste groups like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, besides a sizable Muslim electorate.

Historically, Narkatiaganj sees shifts between BJP and Congress reflecting larger political tides in Bihar. The impending 2025 Bihar Elections pits the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising BJP, JD(U), and others, against the Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, including Congress and leftist parties. Additionally, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj makes an ambitious bid, contesting all 243 seats.

The elections fall on November 6 and 11, with results anticipated on November 14. The political dynamics in Narkatiaganj could potentially indicate the broader electoral mood across Bihar.