Karakat | |
---|---|
Lok Sabha constituency | |
Constituency details | |
Country | India |
Region | East India |
State | Bihar |
Established | 2009 |
Total electors | 1,569,989 |
Reservation | None |
Member of Parliament | |
18th Lok Sabha | |
Incumbent | |
Party | Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation |
Elected year | 2024 |
Karakat is one of the 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Bihar state in eastern India. This constituency came into existence in 2008 as a part of the implementation of delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India constituted in 2002. Karakat is considered as a Kushwaha dominated constituency. [1]
The caste data of this constituency shows that there are 2 lakh (200,000) voters belonging to each of Koeri (Kushwaha), Rajput and Yadav communities. For last few elections, the constituency has been a place of contest between Mahabali Singh and Upendra Kushwaha, both belonging to Koeri caste. [2] [3] In 2024 Indian general election, Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation won the election in a triangular contest involving Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha and Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh. [4]
Due to victory of candidates belonging to only Kushwaha caste from this constituency, ever since its formation, it is referred to as 'Kushwaha land' in Bihar's political circle. [5]
Presently, Karakat Lok Sabha constituency comprises six Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) segments. These are:
# | Name | District | Member | Party | 2024 lead | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
211 | Nokha | Rohtas | Anita Devi | RJD | CPI(ML)L | ||
212 | Dehri | Fateh Bahadur Kushwaha | RJD | CPI(ML)L | |||
213 | Karakat | Arun Kushwaha | CPIML | CPI(ML)L | |||
219 | Goh | Aurangabad | Bhim Yadav | RJD | CPI(ML)L | ||
220 | Obra | Rishi Yadav | RJD | CPI(ML)L | |||
221 | Nabinagar | Vijay Kumar Singh | RJD | CPI(ML)L | |||
Year | Name | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
Before 2009 : Constituency did not exist | |||
2009 | Mahabali Kushwaha | Janata Dal (United) | |
2014 | Upendra Kushwaha | Rashtriya Lok Samata Party | |
2019 | Mahabali Kushwaha | Janata Dal (United) | |
2024 | Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha | Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CPI(ML)L | Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha | 380,581 | 36.89 | ||
Independent | Pawan Singh | 2,74,723 | 26.63 | ||
RLM | Upendra Kushwaha | 2,53,876 | 24.61 | ||
NOTA | None of the above | 21,595 | |||
Majority | 1,05,858 | ||||
Turnout | 10,31,618 | ||||
CPI(ML)L gain from JD(U) | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JD(U) | Mahabali Singh | 398,408 | 47.21 | ||
RLSP | Upendra Kushwaha | 313,866 | 37.19 | ||
NOTA | None of the Above | 22,104 | 2.62 | ||
BSP | Raj Narayan Tiwari | 21,715 | 2.56 | ||
Majority | 84,542 | 9.73 | |||
Turnout | 869,546 | 49.09 | |||
JD(U) gain from RLSP | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RLSP | Upendra Kushwaha | 338,892 | 42.90 | ||
RJD | Kanti Singh | 233,651 | 29.58 | ||
JD(U) | Mahabali Singh | 76,709 | 9.79 | ||
BSP | Sanjay Kewat | 45,503 | 5.76 | ||
Majority | 105,241 | 13.32 | |||
Turnout | 790,361 | 50.01 | |||
RLSP gain from JD(U) | Swing |
Janata Dal (United) ("People's Party (United)"), abbreviated as JD(U), is an Indian political party with political presence mainly in eastern and north-eastern India. JD(U) is recognised as a state party in the states of Bihar and Manipur and is a part of government in both the states. JD(U) heads the government in Bihar and is part of the NDA government in Manipur. JD(U) won 12 seats in the 2024 Indian general election, making it the seventh largest party in the Lok Sabha. JD(U) states that they believe in promoting social justice and lifting up marginalized peoples.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation is a communist political party in India. The party is represented in Bihar and Jharkhand Legislative Assemblies. Since 2023, the party is also a member of the INDIA electoral alliance. In Bihar, the party has significant base amongst the Extremely Backward Castes and the Schedule Castes. It was successful in mobilising Upper Backward Caste groups such as Koeris in some districts of central Bihar, prior to the rise of Lalu Prasad Yadav. The party faced existential crisis when a large section of its Koeri and Yadav support base defected to Rashtriya Janata Dal in 1990s. However, the ideological commitment of its cadre protected it from disintegration. It staged a comeback in politics after winning twelve seats in Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2020 and by sending two of its members to Lok Sabha in 2024 Indian general elections.
Kushwaha is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris and Muraos. The Kushwaha had worshipped Shiva and Shakta, but beginning in the 20th century, they claim descent from the Suryavansh (Solar) dynasty via Kusha, one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. At present, it is a broad community formed by coming together of several caste groups with similar occupational backgrounds and socio-economic status, who, over the time, started inter-marrying among themselves and created all India caste network for caste solidarity. The communities which merged into this caste cluster includes Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha, Mali, Marrar, Saini, Sonkar, Murai, Shakya, Maurya, Koeri and Panara. In 1921, historian Ganga Prasad Gupta published a book claiming that the Kushwaha were of Kshatriya status or Varna.
Arrah is one of the 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Bihar, India. It is a part of the Bhojpur district and comprises seven Assembly constituencies: Sandesh, Barhara, Arrah, Agiaon (SC), Tarari, Jagdishpur and Shahpur.
Khagaria Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Bihar state in eastern India. This constituency came into existence in 1957 and from 1957 to 2019, the constituency has elected six parliamentarians from the Yadav caste as well as five parliamentarians from the Kushwaha caste. Both the Yadav and Kushwaha communities are preponderant in this constituency and dominate the political scenario.
Ujiyarpur is one of the 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Bihar state in eastern India. This constituency came into existence in 2008, following delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India. All the six assembly constituency which constitute Ujiarpur Lok Sabha constituency are dominated by Kushwahas and Yadavs equally.
The Koeri, also referred to as Kushwaha and more recently self-described as Maurya in several parts of northern India are an Indian non-elite caste, found largely in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, whose traditional occupation was agriculture. According to Arvind Narayan Das they were horticulturists rather than agriculturists. They are also recorded as performing the work of Mahajan in credit market of rural parts of Bihar and Bengal in 1880s. Koeris have attempted Sanskritisation— as part of social resurgence. During the British rule in India, Koeris were described as "agriculturalists" along with Kurmis and other cultivating castes. They are described as a dominant caste in various opinions.
Kalyanpur is an assembly constituency in Samastipur district in the Indian state of Bihar. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes.
Mahabali Singh Kushwaha(born 20 April 1955) is an Indian politician belonging to Bhabua, Kaimur district, Bihar. He was a member of the Indian Parliament, representing Karakat.
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party was a political party in India led by Upendra Kushwaha. It was launched on 3 March 2013 and was based in the state of Bihar. The party came into existence as a result of a feud between Nitish Kumar and Upendra Kushwaha, after which Kushwaha left The Nitish Kumar lead Janata Dal (United) and formed his own party. It has faced multiple rebellions and desertions since 2015. After the relations between Nitish and Kushwaha normalized, Upendra Kushwaha merged RLSP into JDU on 14 March 2021, with this, the party ceased to exist.
Upendra Kumar Singh, commonly known as Upendra Kushwaha is an Indian politician, and a former Member of Bihar Legislative Council and Bihar Legislative Assembly. He has also served as Minister of State for Human Resources and Development in the Government of India. Kushwaha is a former Member of Parliament (MP) from the Karakat constituency in Rohtas district, Bihar, and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the leader of Rashtriya Samata Party (RSP), his own party, which merged into Janata Dal (United) (JDU) in 2009. Later, he formed Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), which also merged with JD(U) in 2021. On 20 February 2023, Kushwaha resigned from all positions in Janata Dal (United) and formed his own party called Rashtriya Lok Morcha due to his political problems with JD(U) and Nitish Kumar. Kushwaha contested the Lok Sabha election of 2024 from Karakat constituency and finished at a distant third position. However, he was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha in August 2024.
Pawan Singh is an Indian politician, playback singer, actor, music composer, stage performer. He is known for his works in Bhojpuri Film Industry. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing harmonium in musical concerts. He sang in Bollywood movie Stree 2 as a playback singer. He has received two International Bhojpuri Film Awards. Called as Powerstar by his fans, Singh is known for films such as Pratigya (2008), Satya (2017), Crack Fighter (2019), Raja (2019), Sher Singh (2019), Mera Bharat Mahaan (2022), Har Har Gange (2023) etc.
Samrat Choudhary, also known by his alias Rakesh Kumar is an Indian politician, who is currently serving as Deputy Chief minister of Bihar under Nitish Kumar. He is a member of the Bihar Legislative Council from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has been the party president of BJP Bihar State unit from March 2023 to 25 July 2024. He has also remained Member of Legislative Assembly and a minister in Government of Bihar in Rashtriya Janata Dal government. Chaudhary has been a former Vice President of BJP for the state of Bihar and currently elected for the second term as MLC in 2020 after his first term ended in 2019. In 2014, Samrat planned a split in Rashtriya Janata Dal by defecting thirteen MLAs as splinter group of the party, later joining the BJP. In 2022, he was selected as the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council. In 2024, he was also made the convener of Group of Ministers on Goods and Service Tax rate rationalisation panel.
Shri Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha is a politician from Bihar, who has also served as a minister in the Government of Bihar. He is a son-in-law of Jagdish Mahto— the founder of Naxalism in Ekwari village of the Bhojpur region of Bihar. He has assumed several important posts in various regional political parties of Bihar, which include Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party, Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party. Kushwaha once headed JD(U)'s youth wing and has also been Minister for rural development in Bihar. In July 2024, he was elected to the Bihar Legislative Council. He was nominated by the Janata Dal (United) as its candidate to fill the vacancy of the post caused by end of the tenure of another leader of the party.
The Luv-Kush equation is a political term used in the context of the politics of Bihar, to denote the alliance of the agricultural Kurmi and the Koeri caste, which was assumed to be approximately 15% of the state's population The alliance of these two caste groups has remained the support base of Nitish Kumar, as against the MY equation of Lalu Prasad Yadav, which constitutes Muslims and the Yadavs. Caste consciousness and the quest for political representation largely drive the politics of Bihar. The political alliance of the Koeri and the Kurmi castes, termed the "Luv-Kush equation" was formed when a massive Kurmi Chetna Rally was organised by members of the Kurmi community in 1994 against the alleged casteist politics of Lalu Yadav, who was blamed by contemporary community leaders for promoting Yadavs in politics and administration.
The 2024 Indian general election was held in Bihar in all 7 phases from 19 April to 1 June to elect 40 members of the 18th Lok Sabha, with the results declared on 4 June.
The Rashtriya Lok Morcha, originally established as Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal is an Indian political party formally announced by Upendra Kushwaha on 20 February 2023, in Bihar after resignation from Janata Dal (United). The party's ideology is based on the ideals of Karpoori Thakur. The foundation of the party was preceded by a two day conference organised by Upendra Kushwaha in Patna, in which he invoked the participation of all the members of Mahatama Phule Samata Parishad, a socio-political organisation and his trusted aides in Janata Dal (United). In the backdrop of this conference the foundation of the party was announced.
Kushwaha is a surname used by people of Koeri caste in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The Kushwahas are also known as Maurya, Shakya, or Saini in various parts of north India. As per one opinion, the Kushwaha surname is also common among members of Kachhi caste, who later merged with the Koeris to become a single homogeneous community. They are a dominant OBC community in the state of Bihar.
Raja Ram Singh or Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha, is an Indian politician based in Bihar, who was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly twice, from Obra Assembly constituency in Aurangabad district. He is a member of Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation. He was first elected in 1995 and retained this constituency in 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections. He is also a politburo member of CPI(ML)L. In 2024 Indian general election, he defeated Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh with a margin of over one lakh votes to win Karakat Lok Sabha constituency. He stood first in the triangular electoral contest involving National Democratic Alliance candidate and Rashtriya Lok Morcha president, Upendra Kushwaha and Pawan Singh.
Vijaylakshmi Devi also known as Vijay Lakshmi Kushwaha is an Indian politician and a member of Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha from Siwan Lok Sabha constituency. She was elected to the Lok Sabha on the symbol of Janata Dal (United) in 2024 Indian general election. She is the wife of former JDU legislator, Ramesh Singh Kushwaha, who represented Ziradei Assembly constituency falling within Siwan Lok Sabha constituency.