Political buzz in Patna: Can Sushant Singh Rajput's cousin unseat BJP's Sanjeev Chaurasia in Digha?
Digha, one of the prominent assembly constituencies in Patna district, will witness a tight fight, with the INDI Alliance fielding deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s cousin, Divya Gautham, in the seat. Gautham is reportedly set to enter the fray as a CPI(ML) candidate against sitting MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia, a veteran BJP leader and son of veteran BJP leader and former Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad.
Reports of Divya’s candidature come despite the Opposition alliance still not announcing the seat-sharing deal. Divya is a well-known stage artist and is a social activist who could appeal to women voters. Her association with young voters of the All-India Students’ Association, the students’ organisation of the CPI(ML), could also work in her favour. She could also tap on the anti-incumbency factor prevalent against Chaurasia. By fielding Divya, the CPI(ML) also hopes that the fresh face could give it a new identity.
But taking on sitting MLA Chaurasia is no cakewalk. BJP's incumbent MLA, who won from Digha for two consecutive terms in 2015 and 2020, is the son of veteran BJP leader and former Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad.
As the NDA is ready to release the candidate list today, it is almost certain that the BJP will field Chaurasia from Digha, despite the JD(U) staking claims for the seat.
JD(U), the prominent NDA ally, believes that it is a traditional JDU seat and their candidate will contest from here based on the work of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The Digha Assembly seat, the largest Assembly constituency in Patna district with over 485,000 voters, came into existence after delimitation in 2008. Previously, the seat was known as Patna West, where Naveen Sinha, father of Nitin Naveen, the current MLA from Bankipur, served as MLA. He also served for a long time.
Following the new delimitation, the first assembly elections for this seat were held in 2010, and the seat went to the JDU. However, in the 2015 assembly elections, the BJP wrested the seat from the JDU. In the 2015 elections, Sanjeev Chaurasia of the BJP defeated Rajiv Ranjan Prasad of the JDU by 24,779 votes. At that time, the JD(U) was with the Mahagathbandhan. In 2020, CPIML candidate Shashi Kumar of the Grand Alliance lost by around 49,000 votes.
India