The most talked-about result of the four assembly seat by-elections in Bihar was that of Gaya's Imamganj, where the Hindustani Awam Morcha claimed victory. Deepa Manjhi, the daughter-in-law of Jeetan Ram Manjhi, secured the win.
She defeated RJD's Roshan Manjhi by a margin of 5945 votes, garnering a total of 53435 votes. Emerging for the first time in elections, the Jansuraj Party managed to capture third place with 37103 votes at Imamganj. After Deepa Manjhi was granted a seat, Jeetan Ram Manjhi faced allegations of family favoritism, which he promptly addressed.
His decision has now been vindicated. It’s noteworthy that while Jeetan Ram Manjhi serves as the central minister, his son Santosh Suman is an MLC and a Bihar government minister. Now, his daughter-in-law is also an MLA.
Live Updates
- Deepa Manjhi, Jeetan Ram's daughter-in-law, declared victorious at Imamganj, defeating RJD candidate Roshan Manjhi by 5945 votes.
- Deepa Manjhi leads by 5563 votes against RJD’s Roshan Manjhi in Imamganj. HAM - Deepa Manjhi: 51150 votes RJD - Roshan Manjhi: 45587 votes Jitendra Paswan - 36474 votes
- Deepa Manjhi extends her lead by 3858 votes over RJD's Roshan Manjhi. HAM - Deepa Manjhi: 34117 votes RJD - Roshan Manjhi: 30259 votes Jitendra Paswan: 25123 votes
- Deepa Manjhi trails on Imamganj Assembly seat, RJD's Roshan takes the lead.
* Roshan Manjhi (RJD) - 6135 votes * Jitendra Paswan (Jansuraj) - 4165 votes * Deepa Manjhi (HAM) - 3387 votes
- In the first round, Deepa Manjhi takes a lead of 1600 votes. * Deepa Manjhi (HAM) - 8464 votes * Roshan Manjhi (RJD) - 6864 votes * Jitendra Prasad (Jansuraj) - 3200 votes
- Postal ballots counting begins in Imamganj.
- A significant number of Bihar police personnel deployed for security at the counting center.
- Counting at Gaya College involves 28 tables. Counting for Belaganj and Imamganj will complete in 11 rounds.
- The competition intensifies between Deepa Manjhi and RJD candidate Roshan Manjhi at Imamganj.
- Tighter police cordon at counting venue.
Vote counting to commence soon in Imamganj.
Prashant Kishor Introduces Candidate
This seat was notably discussed because strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor introduced his candidate from here. This was the first election for the Jansuraj Party, which nominated Jitendra Paswan from Imamganj, while the India alliance's RJD fielded Roshan Manjhi.
Deepa Manjhi: The Strongest Contender
Much attention was drawn to the Imamganj seat due to Jeetan Ram Manjhi. His daughter-in-law, Deepa Manjhi, was the NDA candidate. Academically, Deepa surpassed her rivals from RJD and Jansuraj, holding an MA while her opponents have only studied up to the 12th grade. In terms of assets, Deepa is also ahead, declaring property worth 3.3 crore in an affidavit to the Election Commission, while both opponents claim assets under 1 crore.
Imamganj’s Caste Dynamics
The Imamganj seat lies near the Bihar-Jharkhand border and is a Naxal-affected area. Musahar voters form 18.6% of the electorate, where Jeetan Ram Manjhi also hails from. Muslim voters account for 15.3%, while Yadavs hold 13.2%. The constituency also boasts a significant number of Kurmi voters at 10.82%.
