Union Minister Giriraj Singh takes on INDIA bloc’s Awadhesh Kumar Rai

Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar is gearing up for an interesting political battle in the 2024 general elections. With seven assembly segments including Cheria-Bariarpur, Bachhwara and Teghra, Begusarai elected Giriraj Singh of the BJP to the Lok Sabha in 2019. Singh, a two-time MP and Union minister, now faces an uphill task against the Indian bloc.

Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls on May 13 in phase 4 of the general elections.

List of candidates

Union Minister Giriraj Singh, the BJP candidate, is seeking re-election. However, Singh faces stiff competition from a united opposition within the INDIA bloc, which has fielded Awadhesh Kumar Rai of the CPI.

Begusarai was once known as the “Leningrad of Bihar” or “Mini Moscow” as it was long ruled by the Communist Party of India (CPI). In 2009, however, Monazir Hassan of Janata Dal (United) won the seat. In the next two elections, BJP’s Giriraj Singh, a Bhumihar, won the seat.

He is facing Awadhesh Kumar Rai, the OBC candidate and three-term MP from Bachhwara. His candidacy demonstrates the opposition’s strategy to capitalize on the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) support base, particularly among Muslims and Yadavs.

To party	Candidate
BJP	Giriraj Singh
CPI	Awadhesh Kumar Rai (Yadav)
NOTICED	None of the above

2019 result

In the previous two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged victorious in Begusarai. In 2019, Giriraj Singh defeated CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is now in the Congress. Singh received 692,193 votes, while Kumar received 269,976 votes. Tanveer Hassan of the RJD received 198,233 votes.

To party	Candidate	Votes	%
BJP	Giriraj Singh	692 193	56.48
CPI	Kanhaiya Kumar	269,976	22.03
RJD	Tanweer Hassan	198 233	4:17 p.m.
INDIANA	Saurabh	18,638	1.52
INDIANA	Shambhu Kumar Singh	10,019	0.82
NOTICED	None of the above	20,445	1.67