JD(U) rebel contesting from Gaya teachers’ constituency

GAYA: Sanjeev Shyam Singh, the JD(U) rebel contesting the Bihar legislative council election from the Gaya Teachers constituency seat, has emerged as a formidable challenge to old warhorse and seven-time MLC Arun Kumar. Arun Kumar is contesting perhaps the most crucial election of his long legislative career spread over four decades as a Congress nominee.
The Congress nominee is believed to enjoy the tacit support of a section of JD(U) leaders opposed to the emergence of Singh as a formidable entity on the Magadh political scene.Neither the JD(U) nor the BJP have fielded their official candidate for the seat. Though in the Congress, Arun Kumar enjoys a good personal rapport with the ruling party leaders.
The election is scheduled for April 10. Besides Kumar and Singh, four others are contesting the seat and the contestants include LJP nominee D N Singh. Altogether 11,687 registered voters spread over eight districts including four of the five districts of Magadh division and Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur and Rohtas would be exercising their franchise. Nawada is the only district of Magadh division which is not part of the Gaya Teachers constituency.
The maximum number of registered voters is in Gaya district where 2,794 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. The minimum number of voters is in Arwal district, where only 441 voters have been registered.
Claiming overwhelming support for Sanjeev Shyam Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, associate professor in the department of history, M G College, Gaya, one of the voters said that majority of the nearly 4,000 contract teachers, the first-time voters in the Council election, would be supporting Sanjeev Shyam Singh as he has been fighting for the better service condition for contract teachers. Disagreeing with Khan’s claim, Ram Uday Prasad, a leader of the teachers appointed on contract basis, said that contract teachers were not bonded labourers and they would be voting as per the perceived merits of the contestants. Ram Uday said that the Congress nominee, Arun Kumar, has been at the forefront of the teachers movement in Bihar and it will be sheer ingratitude if his services are not acknowledged in this election.