India
The visit of Amit Shah to Bihar reflects BJP's strategy to win maximum seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
Updated : Sep 23, 2022, 05:37 PM IST | Edited by : Riddhima Kanetkar
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to Bihar on Friday to prepare the party to become a formidable force ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to counter the Mahagathbandhan government in the state.
To give further impetus to the party, the Bihar unit of the BJP has come up with a new slogan urging people to support the party for the development of the state. The party has introduced the slogan "Aao chale Bhajpa ke sath, Kare Bihar ka Vikash" (let's support BJP for the development of Bihar).
Shah's first trip to the state comes after chief minister Nitish Kumar parted ways with the BJP and joined hands with RJD, Congress, and others to form a grand alliance government.
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Amit Shah will address 'Jan Bhavna Mahasabha' in the Seemanchal area for the first time in Bihar. Seemanchal area includes Katihar, Araria, and Kishanganj districts.
The visit of Shah to Bihar reflects BJP's strategy to win maximum seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
Amit Shah will address a gathering 'Jan Bhavna Mahasabha' at around noon on Friday at Rangbhoomi Ground in Purnia. The BJP is in high gear ahead of Shah's visit to Seemanchal (bordering) districts of Bihar Purnia and Kishanganj districts.
The Seemanchal area of north Bihar consists of four districts -- Purnia, Kishanganj, Katihar, and Araria -- where the Muslim population is in sizeable number to influence the success of a political party's candidate in both Assembly and General elections. The four districts share their border with West Bengal and Bangladesh, from where a large number of immigrants have infiltrated and settled to change the demography there, BJP leaders claimed.
The four districts represent 24 Assembly seats and four Parliamentary seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BJP won just one seat of Araria, while JD(U) had victories in two seats of Purnia and Katihar and the Kishanganj seat went to the Congress party. In 2019, both BJP and JD(U) fought elections together as allies.
However, political experts said that the political trend of the Seemanchal area "influences the electoral course of other adjoining districts like Supaul, Bhagalpur, Madhubani, and Darbhanga as well".
There are 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar out of which 17 are presently held by the BJP while JD(U) has 16 seats. Further, Lok Janshakti Party has six seats and Congress has one seat.