Tight Contest in Rosera Between Congress, BJP

Rosera: A keenly contested battle is unfolding in the Rosera constituency of Samastipur district, which goes to the polls in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday.

The Congress has fielded former IPS officer B.K. Ravi, while the BJP has renominated sitting MLA Birendra Paswan. Initially trailing behind the Congress candidate, Paswan has reportedly regained ground following aggressive poll management by BJP strategists and visiting ministers from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Ravi, a former DGP of Tamil Nadu, has been active in Rosera for the past two years since joining the Congress. With his clean image and long administrative experience, he has gained popularity among young voters and those seeking change in leadership.

A visible anti-incumbency sentiment against the sitting MLA has forced the ruling alliance into damage control mode, appealing to voters to give Paswan another chance. Recent rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Samastipur and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rosera are said to have eased discontent among local voters.

Ravi has promised that, if elected, he will push for district status for Rosera, a long-pending demand of the local electorate. He has also pledged to establish a polytechnic, a medical college, and start-up incubation centres for young entrepreneurs within a year, apart from setting up a hospital and medical institute in the subdivision town.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s roadshow in Rosera on Tuesday further energised the I.N.D.I.A. bloc’s campaign.

Meanwhile, BJP poll managers, aware of Paswan’s declining popularity, have intensified a door-to-door campaign, particularly in urban areas and among the trader community, appealing to voters to “give him one more chance.” Party insiders said campaigners have urged voters to support Paswan in the name of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Welfare schemes such as direct benefit transfers and the Mukhya Mantri Rojgar Yojana, under which ₹10,000 was given to Jivika Didis, have also helped the BJP candidate regain some momentum.

However, the Mahagathbandhan appears divided in Rosera. While Ravi remains a strong contender and has attracted youth support, RJD cadres are primarily focused on consolidating their traditional vote base rather than ensuring full transfer of votes to the Congress. Communities such as the Mallahs and Tantis seem less inclined to shift towards the Congress camp, with local analysts warning that internal rifts could hurt the party’s chances.

“Despite anti-incumbency and the negative image of BJP MLA Birendra Paswan, strong micro-management by the BJP’s central campaign team has brought him back into the contest,” local political observers said, adding that the saffron party “plays its game till the last ball.”