Bihar: How This JD(U) Leader Has Put BJP In An Uncomfortable Position With The Bhumihars

A comment by Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) leader Ashok Choudhary has caused a political storm in Bihar. Even Choudhary’s own party leaders are not supporting him on the issue.

On 31 August, 2024, Choudhary - a minister in Nitish government chided the Bhumihar community for not the choosing JD(U) in the Jahanabad Lok Sabha constituency. “I know people from Bhumihar community very well. When Lok Sabha elections occurred, they did not help Nitish Kumar” said Choudhary.

“When an Extremely Backward Class(EBC) candidate is fielded, Bhumihars say they will not vote. Why will you people not vote? Development work is carried out in your village as well.” added Choudhary.

He also accused those leaders who did not side with JD(U) of being irrational about their ticket demand. According to Choudhary, instead of working on ground, these people roam in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata.

Choudhary was putting forward his view in Jahanabad district. Jahanabad is one of the few Lok Sabha seats where Bhumihars are in decisive numbers. The constituency was one of the most watched out for poll observers.

Traditionally, parties nominate either a Bhumihar or Yadav candidate from this seat. For the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a Bhumihar candidate is often seen as the better choice, as securing the loyalty of Yadav voters—who are nearly equal in number to Bhumihars—is challenging due to the influence of Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav.

Moreover, Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had already fielded Surendra Yadav - a well known name - from this seat. Nationally, Surendra Yadav is more famous for tearing a draft of the women’s reservation bill.

But JD(U), which contested from the seat as part of the NDA, decided to repeat the 2019 experiment by fielding Chandeshwar Prasad - an EBC candidate who was also facing anti-incumbency. But even in 2019, Prasad has won by a slim margin of 1,751 votes.

This time around, Bhumihars asked JD(U) to change its course. For them, losing hold on Jahanabad was taken as a second loss after conceding Muzaffarpur—another Bhumihar stronghold—to Nishad community.

But the JD(U) went ahead with Prasad anyway. Meanwhwile, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded Arun Kumar - a former member of Parliament(MP) from Jahanabad and himself a Bhumihar. Angered Bhumihar votes got scattered to BSP and even RJD.

Jagdish Sharma, a strong local name and former MP is believed to have led the rebellion.

A section of the JD(U), including Ashok Choudhary, is believed to not be happy with Bhumihars for the Jahanabad loss.

Reactions to Choudhary’s statement have been sharp.

Neeraj Kumar, member of legislative council (MLC) from JD(U) termed Choudhary’s remarks as casteist. “People of a caste vote or do not vote according to the situation and there should not be any hatred towards them. The party totally rejects Ashok Choudhary’s statement,” said Kumar.

Shrawan Kumar, JD(U) leader and Choudhary’s ministerial colleague in Bihar government said that it is personal remark of Choudhary and not party line. Rajeev Ranjan, the newly appointed spokesperson of JD(U) also spoke on similar lines.

BJP leaders also criticised Chouhary for his remarks. Vijay Kumar Sinha, the deputy chief minister (DY-CM) of Bihar said that Bhumihar is not just a caste, instead it is a community whose culture is grounded. “Any well-wisher of Bhumihar will never release such statement” added Sinha.

Even opposition leaders like Tejashwi Yadav, Surendra Yadav and Congress leader Ajit Sharma also opposed Choudhary’s remarks.

The Bhumihars in Bihar

The Bhumihars are landholding community in Bihar. According to latest caste survey conducted by the Bihar government, Bhumihars form approximately 2.9 per cent of state’s population and own 39 per cent of the total land in Bihar. 

Bhumihars, with their traditional hold on land, were among the first communities in Bihar to actively pursue political power. Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar's first Chief Minister, who is credited with leading the state's developmental progress in the 1950s, also hailed from the Bhumihar community.

Over time, the Bhumihar community expanded its influence by entering civil services and dominating the state bureaucracy for a significant period.

During the RJD's rule, however, Bhumihars were often targeted during what is commonly referred to as the "Jungle Raj" era. The community faced violent reprisals, with a series of murders taking place due to their influence. In response, Bhumihars formed armed groups, the most notable being the Ranvir Sena.

As the community came under repeated attacks, the BJP stood in solidarity with them. With the decline of the Congress and the rise of regional parties on an anti upper caste plank, the BJP's political stances resonated with the community. Additionally, other parties' stand on post-reservation policies also drove a large number of Bhumihar community voters to the BJP.

The community also played a pivotal role in the BJP's rise as a replacement for Congress in Bihar. Prominent leaders like Giriraj Singh, a staunch Hindutva advocate and union minister in the Modi government, hail from this community. Other Bhumihar leaders, such as Anant Singh and Lalan Singh, have also provided direct or indirect support to the NDA at various times.

However, in last few years, the party has lost some traction among the community. In multiple mini-elections, Bhumihars did not vote for BJP because of its apparent appeasement of other castes.

Before the Lok Sabha election of 2024, the party appointed Sinha as DY-CM as a message to Bhumihar community. However, the Jahanabad fiasco has again complicated the issue.