Lok Sabha polls: Battle in Siwan is about two women, criminal husbands

On the face of it, the general election in Siwan, which votes on May 12, is about women empowerment. Two strong women, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)’s Hina Shahab and Janata Dal (U)’s Kavita Singh, are in the fray. 

But scratch the surface a little and one would find that the contest is apparently betw­een two bahubalis (strong­men), former RJD MP and don Mohammed Shahabuddin and Hindutva activist and muscleman Ajay Singh. Shahabuddin used to run this constituency as his fiefdom from 1991 to 2007. His reign ended in 2007 after he was awarded life sentence by the Supreme Court in a murder case.

On the other hand, Singh facing nearly 30 cases of murder, abduction and extortion. He is accused of carrying out various political killings and an extortion racket in the neighbouring Gopalganj and Saran districts. In this backdrop, the constituency is witnessing a heady contest.

It's the third electoral battle for Hina. She was thrust into politics after the noose tightened around Shahabuddin, her husband who is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. In 2009 and 2014, she was defeated by Om Prakash Yadav, who contested against her first as an independent candidate and later as BJP nominee. Contesting her first Lok Sabha election in 2009, Hina used to prefer a veil to cover her face. But no more.

RJD’s Hina Shahab | Photo: Satyavrat Mishra

A graduate from Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Muzaffarpur, Hina has matured over time. She now speaks about complex issues such as education, job and agrarian distress. "My husband was one of the best performing parliamentarians in terms of fund utilisation and works undertaken. The work has stopped ever since he left the office. I will resume it now," she told Business Standard.

On the other hand, there is nothing accidental about her rival Kavita, a two-term JD (U) MLA from Daraunda. A post graduate from J P University, Saran, Kavita was handpicked by Ajay Singh in a "contest" to be his wife. They even got married in Pitrapaksh, which is considered inauspicious by the Hindus, just because Kavita could contest a 2011 by-poll necessitated after the deat­h of Singh's mother Jagmato Devi.

After the Siwan seat went to the JD (U) in the National Democratic Alliance's seat-sharing agreement, the party decided to bet on her name. "People don't want to relive the horror of Shahabuddin. People used to fear to leave their homes even in the daytime. No more. I will work for peace and serenity in Siwan," Kavita told Business Standard.

However, after Om Prakash Yadav was denied ticket in Siwan, the popular opinion has been divided. "Behind Hina's earlier defeats there is simple logic. Lalu Prasad's Muslim-Yadav equation didn't work in Siwan because here the battle was Yadavs versus Muslims. With the help of Yadavs, upper castes and extremely backward castes voters, he comfortably won in Siwan in 2009 and 2014. However, the JD (U)'s decision to field Kavita, a Rajput, has essentially driven Yadavs back to the RJD's fold," told Dasrath Kushwaha, a local.

"Many in upper castes are also not happy with it. Brahm­ins are particularly angry over it. Her husband has made it clear that they don't need our support. His statements have been derogative towards us," told Basant Chaubey a resident of Hussainganj block.

However, Singh denies such statements and is confident of her wife's victory. "It's battle between good and evil. We will not let Siwan turn into Pakistan. Everyone is supporting our cause," he said. His su­p­­p­orters are accusing “unha­p­py" BJP leaders of insti­gating rumours against Kavita.

But, Om Prakash Yadav, the sitting BJP MP, finds no ground such claims. "I am actively campaigning for Kavitaji as thousands of other BJP workers. I am a loyal sepoy of the BJP," Yadav said. However, it doesn't mean BJP leadership in Delhi and Patna are not baffled by Nitish Kumar's choice from Siwan.  

Both Kavita and Hina don't like to face questions about the criminal charges against their husbands. "Don't call shaheb a bahubali. For me and the people of Siwan, he is a vikas purush," said Hina.

Kavita said: “Ajayji took up arms to avenge the death of his father and brothers. This doesn't make him a criminal. He is a protector at heart.”

But a shopkeeper in Gopal­pur village sums it up perfectly. "Both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan talk about peace, women empowerment and development, but neither could find a decent candidate without a criminal past," said the shopkeeper.