Danapur is gearing up for a "great Yadav battle" as three Yadavs fight for the Assembly seat RJD chief Lalu Prasad had represented in 1995 and 2000.
The main contenders are sitting MLA Asha Devi of the BJP, Danapur Nizamat municipal council deputy mayor Raj Kishor Yadav of the RJD and Independent candidate Tinku Yadav, brother of gangster-turned-Legislative Council member Ritlal Yadav.
Once an RJD bastion, the Yadav-dominated seat has lately been secured by the BJP. The party's candidate, Asha Devi, a Yadav, won from here the past three times (February and October 2005 and 2010). Also, the segment is part of Pataliputra, where Misa Bharti lost to her father Lalu's former aide Ram Kripal Yadav in Lok Sabha polls last year.
The RJD's downfall began after Asha's husband Satya Narayan Sinha was killed in April 2003, during Lalu's Lathi Rally in nearby Jamaluddin Chak village. Satya had unsuccessfully contested the 2002 bypoll against RJD's Ramanand Yadav, who won. Independent candidate Tinku's brother Ritlal - a Danapur diara don now in Bhagalpur Central Jail for criminal offences - is a prime accused in the murder.
Political observers in Danapur say while Asha won twice in 2005 because of sympathy votes, her 2010 victory was because of a division of Yadav votes. Ritlal, then an Independent candidate, cut into the RJD's Yadav votes, helping Asha scrape through with upper caste and some Yadav votes.
Residents say Asha has an edge. "There is a neck-to-neck fight between Asha and Raj Kishor. Ritlal's brother Tinku would grossly hurt Raj Kishor's chances. But Raj Kishor has the support of most ward councillors of Danapur Nizamat municipal council and his brother Vijay Singh Yadav was a Rajya Sabha MP," said Saraj Rai, a small trader from Nasriganj Ghat.
Danapur is divided into four areas - the diara areas north of Ganga, Bihar Regimental Centre cantonment area, the new residential colonies between Digha-Danapur canal and Saguna Mor and Khagaul.
The diara areas are underdeveloped. People living in the six gram panchayats of Panapur, Kasimchak, Patlapur, Hetanpur, Ganghaar and Maanas cross the Ganga on country-made boats to reach Patna for half the year, as the pontoon-bridge has to be removed every time water level rises during monsoon.
"It takes me two hours every morning to walk around 5-6km on either side of the Ganga to reach the market in Danapur. Though six-seater auto-rickshaws run in diara areas, they are not available till 9am. Boats remain the only means to cross the river during monsoon and winter," said Birendra Prasad, a farmer based in Patlapur gram panchayat.
While riverine areas in Danapur are underdeveloped, newly developed residential areas in and around Gola Road, Rupaspur, Saguna Mor and Khagaul bear the brunt of unplanned development. Hundreds of swanky apartments have come up over the past decade, but most colonies still lack internal roads, water supply, drainage lines and streetlights among other basic amenities.
"Most inhabitants in Gola Road, Saguna Mor and neighbouring areas belong to forward castes and are likely to vote for Asha Devi of the BJP. However, RJD candidate Raj Kishor Yadav is also influential in Danapur. He is known as Loha [Iron] Singh. Ritlal's brother is also in the fight as Ritlal lost by only 18,000 votes the last time," said Bachcha Kumar Yadav, a contractor based at Hetanpur gram panchayat.
♦ Danapur votes on Oct. 28
