Kalyanpur MLA Ramsewak Hazari. Telegraph picture

Darbhanga, Nov. 28: As the hopes of LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan sank with the defeat of both his brothers in the Assembly elections, the fortunes of his rivals — the Hazari family — shone with a number of victories.

Experts now believe that the Hazaris from Rosra in Samastipur have become the most powerful political family in the Paswan community, particularly in the Mithila region.

The Hazari family bagged three Assembly seats this time. Ramsewak Hazari, father of JD (U) MP Maheshwar Hazari, defeated LJP candidate Bishwanth Paswan from Kalyanpur Assembly segment with a margin of 30,197 votes. Manju Hazari, Maheshwar’s sister-in-law, won the Rosra seat on a BJP ticket, defeating RJD candidate Pitambar Paswan. Sashi Bhusan Hazari, Maheshwar’s uncle, contested on a BJP ticket and defeated LJP candidate Ram Chandra Paswan from Kuleshwar Asthan. All the three seats were reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates.

Incidentally, Maheshwar defeated Ram Chandra Paswan at Samastipur in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Both Ram Chandra and Ram Vilas Paswan were defeated in the Lok Sabha polls.

In contrast to the Hazari family, there was only disappointment in store for the LJP’s Paswans. Pashupati Kumar Paras, one of the three Paswan brothers, lost from Alauli. Paswan’s two sons-in-law Anil Kumar Sadhu alias Sadhu Paswan and Mrinal Kumar were also defeated from Masaurhi and Rajgir respectively.

A source in the political circles of Mithilanchal said that while the electorate was determined to decimate the Paswan family’s political chances this time round, they whole-heartedly supported the Hazari family, courtesy the Nitish Kumar magic.