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The not-at-home MP

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Lok Sabha speaker and Congress candidate from Sasaram in Bihar, Meira Kumar, may have to face trouble as residents are questioning her absence and non-performance in the last five years. Apart from her absence, factors working against Kumar are local development issues, towards which she is being perceived as insensitive, as well as key opponent Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJP) efforts to eat into her share of the Brahmin and Kushwaha votes.

Kumar is a five time MP and will be contesting this time against BJP's Chhedi Paswan and JD (U)'s KP Ramaiah – a former IAS officer. The election will be held on April 10. Meira won the seat with a record margin in 2004.

The most significant issue is of Durgawati Reservoir project, which was announced way back in1977, by none other than Meira's father and great Dalit leader Babu Jagjiwan Ram, when he was agriculture and irrigation minister. It has remained stalled for over 30 years. Other issues are absence of a bridge connecting Kudra and Rampur villages due to which people have to wade through the river, and relocation of the Sasaram bus stand.

Ajay Kumar of nearby Bhabhua said, "Sonia Gandhi jaisi bari neta Sansad me unke kehne pe uthti baithti hai, to Meira apne logon ke liye kam kyo nai karwati." (Big leaders such as Sonia Gandhi also sit and stand in parliament when Meira asks them to do so. Then why cannot she get the work done for her own constituency.) "Meira keeps reiterating that she will fulfill the dreams of Babu Jagjiwan Ram. The dream has receded into the horizon long back," added Kumar.

As per the Rohtas district administration, the irrigation project was announced in 1977. District administration sources say some work has recently started on the project and the administration is working out a plan for the dislocation and the rehabilitation of the people. The project would have benefitted a large cross section of the agricultural people and it would have irrigated large part of 2,42,832 hectare of agricultural land in Rohtas and Kaimur.

On the other fronts, out of population of 24,50,748, more than half 12,45,461 are illiterate, according to state administration figures. Female illiteracy is about 60%.

BJP is making both her absence from the constituency and failure on deliverables as an electoral issue as well as eating away the share of her prominent vote banks.

Leader of opposition in assembly, Sushil Modi told dna, "We have seen what the champions of social justice have done. Meira Kumar never played any role for the project lying for over decades. RJD and Congress also did not take it forward. People have made up their mind to make Narendra Modi their prime minister. It is the BJP, which took steps to take the project forward. As a part of the NDA government, we got the necessary clearances and I allocated Rs800 crore to initiate the project. And how many times does she come here?"

According to information accessed through Right to Information Act, Meira Kumar has spent a lot of time in visits abroad after taking over as the Lok Sabha speaker in 2009. She spent 176 days abroad during 37 trips between 2009 and September last year. In comparison she has just spent 58 days during the 22 trips that she made to Sasaram.

Meanwhile, the two major communities, Brahmins (1,22,000 in Sasaram) and Kushwaha (1,83,000) are seen drifting away from the traditional choice of Congress in the constituency on the back of the Narendra Modi factor. Yadavs who would vote for the Congress as it is in alliance with RJD. Harijans and Muslims are also dominant players and will support Meira all out. Even though people are now skeptical about Meira, BJP's fate in the constituency hinges on the extent to which Brahmins and Kushwahas drift to BJP.

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