New equations on old turfs in Bihar's fifth phase (IANS Exclusive)

It is new equations that are playing out on old turfs in Bihar, including the battles in the family strongholds of the Paswans and Yadavs in the 5th phase of polling on May 6.

Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is fighting back to wrest family seat Saran from Rajiv Pratap Rudy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who had defeated Rabri Devi in 2014 from here.

All eyes are also on political weathercock Ram Vilas Paswan's bastion Hajipur, where his family's mettle will be tested once again.

Elsewhere in the state, the contest in Muzaffarpur has taken centre-stage with new entrant Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) turning it into a Nishad (a demographically influential community of boatsmen or mallahs) versus Nishad contest. 

BJP's candidate Ajay Nishad is also the sitting MP who had got 49.46 per cent votes in 2014 when he had beaten Akhilesh Singh of the Congress. This time, he faces Rajbhushan Nishad of VIP, which is making a debut.

In Sitamarhi, last time winner Rashtriya Lok Shakti Party (RLSP) has left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Janata Dal (United), which is now with the NDA has changed its candidate in the last minute.

The JD-U had earlier chosen three-time MLA Dr. Varun Kumar as its candidate but changed him at the last moment fielding Sunil Kumar Pintu, who had joined the party from the BJP. 

His opponent is Arjun Rai of the RJD, who had contested on a JD-U ticket in 2014 and got 97,188 votes.

BJP's Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav's Madhubani seat this time will see contest between his son Ashok Yadav and another VIP candidate Badri Purbe. 

However, the Congress, which is VIP's partner in joint alliance of RJD-Congress and other parties, failed to stop its rebel Shakeel Ahmad from contesting as an independent. Shekeel Ahmad has made it into a three-cornered fight.

In Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who won 41.12 per cent votes in 2014 and defeated Rabri Devi, is back in fray. Rabri Devi had cornered 36.38 per cent from the seat represented by former Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad four times.

This time Rudy is up against RJD's Chandrika Rai's, whose daughter had married Lalu's son Tej Pratap, who has opened a front against his father-in-law.

In Paswan stronghold Hajipur, a reserved seat, Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Pashupati Kumar Paras is in fray who is facing challenge from RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram.

Paswan has been eight-time MP from the seat and had won 2014 votes getting a massive 50.31 per cent of the votes. He had beaten Sanjiv Prasad Toni off the Congress and Ram Sundar Das of JD (U).
IANS