‘Outsiders’ who won Lok Sabha polls from Bihar

Bihar is one State where those leaders who were from outside the State too have won Lok Sabha elections from undivided Bihar. The illustrious list includes former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, former Defence Minister George Fernandes, veteran Socialist JB Kripalani, former JD (U) president Sharad Yadav and disgraced journalist, MJ Akbar.

Former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, who was originally from Ballia in UP and always won from there, contested from Bihar’s Maharajganj too during 1989 Lok Sabha elections. This was one poll where Chandrashekhar too was in the PM race, apart from VP Singh, who had then merged his Jan Morcha with the Janata Dal. Chandrashekhar, who won from Ballia (UP) as well as Maharajganj (Bihar) in 1989, however, retained his bastion in Uttar Pradesh and resigned from Bihar’s constituency.

George, who originally hailed from Karnataka (he graduated from Mangalore in 1945), contested from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha constituency as a Janata Party nominee in 1977. He was, during those days, incarcerated in Baroda dynamite case. But despite behind bars, George emerged triumphant in anti-Indira Gandhi wave. He was made Industries Minister in Morarji Desai Government. Later, George won Lok Sabha polls from Bihar seven times from either Muzaffarpur or Nalanda.

Earlier, veteran Socialist JB Kripalani too had won from Bhagalpur during 1952 Lok Sabha election. His wife Suchita Kriplani was a Congress leader who served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Of the present crop of leaders, Sharad Yadav has been contesting from Bihar’s Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency since 1991. Born in Hoshangabad and having graduated from Jabalpur College of Engineering (both in Madhya Pradesh), Sharad too emerged victorious as Janata Party nominee from Jabalpur during 1977 election. But since 1991, he has been contesting from Bihar, having won five times and losing twice.

One of the prominent ‘outsiders’ who came to Bihar and emerged triumphant include senior journalist MJ Akbar. Serving as an editor of a prominent English daily published from Calcutta (now Kolkata), Akbar was asked by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to contest from Bihar’s Kishanganj, which has 70 per cent Muslim electorate. Akbar romped home in 1989 Lok Sabha elections. But recently, he crossed over the fence to BJP for greener pastures. He was made Rajya Sabha member from Jharkhand, followed by his elevation as MoS in Modi Government. Till he met his nemesis through Me-too movement in 2018.