October 24, 2025

Hold your breath, because something historic is cooking in Bihar's Magadh division! For the very first time ever, four of its 26 assembly seats will witness an electrifying woman versus woman contest. That's right, politics is getting a colorful makeover here with women in fierce fights across Imamganj, Barachatti, Govindpur, and Warisaliganj. The crown jewel of these battles is Imamganj, where all eyes are on the clash between Deepa Manjhi and Ritu Priya Chaudhary of the RJD. Deepa Manjhi is not just any candidate – she is the sitting MLA and daughter-in-law of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Imamganj has been a rock-solid NDA zone, and RJD has never grabbed this seat before. Will Ritu Priya Chaudhary shake things up? The stakes have never been higher! Meanwhile, in Barachatti, history and legacy meet head-on. HAM(S) leader and MLA Jyoti Devi takes on Tanushree Manjhi. Jyoti is the sister-in-law of Jitan Ram Manjhi. On the other side, Tanushree stands tall as the granddaughter of the late Bhagwati Devi – a legendary Dalit leader famed in the 1980s for crushing stones by hand to survive despite being twice an MLA. Tanushree is part of the third generation of her family's political dynasty. The drama continues in Warisaliganj, Nawada district, where politics is more than politics! Here, two feared Nawada dons Akhilesh Singh and Ashok Mahto face off via their wives – BJP’s Aruna Devi and Anita Devi, respectively. Can these fiery women match their husbands’ reputations and conquer the seat? And don’t miss Govindpur, also in Nawada! RJD’s Purnima Devi versus LJP’s Vinita Mehta — a battle of wills and women. But wait, there’s more! Women aren’t just fighting among themselves; they are up against male rivals all over Magadh. From Manorama Devi taking on Vishwanath Yadav in Belaganj to Vibha Devi contesting Nawada's Kaushal Yadav, to battles in Atri, Rajauli, and Makhdumpur — women candidates are storming the stage. RJD leads the pack by fielding six women candidates in Magadh, followed by HAM(S), LJP, and JD(U) with two each. BJP, Congress, and LJP have given one ticket each to women. Interestingly, CPI-ML has none. The Jan Suraj Party’s Archana Chandra fights for Nabinagar in Aurangabad district. But, as expert Kusum Kumari, former pro-VC of Munger University, warns, “Only giving tickets to women does not mean real empowerment.” Often, she says, “male family members—whether husband or son—hold the real power” even when women are in the spotlight. So, will these battles truly empower women, or are they just political shows? Whatever the outcome, Magadh’s political landscape is sizzling with stories of courage, legacy, and fierce sisterhood!

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Tags: Women candidates, Magadh division, Assembly elections, Rjd, Nda, Bihar politics,