Shyam Bharti is one of the candidates fighting the election for the Hayaghat constituency (Darbhanga district) on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) ticket. Bharti is one among the several candidates who are trying to challenge the status quo. His candidacy put emphasis on the issues of class, asset-disparity and local political history.
Background and credentials of the candidate
Shyam Bharti is 53 years old. He is listed with formal education up to the 12th standard and identifies his profession simply as “politics.” According to his affidavits, he possesses assets of ₹59 lakh (with ₹3.4 lakh in liabilities). His movable assets amount to ₹3.4 lakh, while immovable assets amount to ₹55.6 lakh. The reports show that Bharti faces 16 registered criminal cases, which include 24 IPC counts. He is contesting from the Hayaghat Assembly seat under the banner of CPI(M).
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His nomination has been supported by the broader Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar. Shyam’s candidature is seen as part of the Left’s attempt to recover its hold in the regions which has long been dominated by the BJP, JD(U).
The electoral terrain of Hayaghat
Hayaghat is Assembly Constituency No. 84 in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. In the 2020 election, BJP’s Ram Chandra Prasad secured 67,030 votes (46.86 %), winning the seat; RJD’s Bhola Yadav emerged second with 56,778 votes (39.69 %). The margin was 10,252 votes, resulting in a tight contest. Left’s vision is very clear with Comrade Shyam Bharti (CPIM). He advocates for jobs, a stop to distress migration, and development in the infrastructure.
Bharti is positioning himself as the voice of the grassroots and a divergence from traditional elites as the battle for the seat of Hayaghat heats up.
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Shyam Bharti’s candidature in Hayaghat presents a layered narrative. It shows the Left’s attempt to challenge the status quo with a candidate of modest means in a constituency looking for credible alternatives. The further counting rounds will show if his grassroots appeal resulted in electoral gains.
