Manjeet Kumar Singh of JDU and Dilip Kumar Singh of RJD in a battle for supremacy | India News

NEW DELHI: Candidates from the Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Bahujan Samaj Party are locked in a neck-and-neck contest in Bihar’s Barauli Assembly constituency, as counting day nears. Manjeet Kumar Singh (JD(U)), Dilip Kumar Singh (RJD), and Reyazul Haque alias Raju (BSP) are the key contenders in this high-stakes battle.

Voting detailsBarauli went to polls in the second phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. The constituency saw a healthy turnout, continuing Bihar’s record voter enthusiasm, which reached 66.91% statewide. In 2020, Barauli registered 58.89% polling, slightly below the state average that year. This time, officials reported higher participation from rural belts, signaling an energized voter base that could swing the outcome.Constituency at a glancePart of Gopalganj district, Barauli is one of Bihar’s 243 assembly constituencies and falls under the Gopalganj Lok Sabha seat. The constituency, home to 2.39 lakh voters, has long been a key player in shaping regional political dynamics.Barauli has largely been a BJP stronghold since 2000, with only one exception in the past 25 years. Rampravesh Rai of the BJP dominated the seat for four consecutive terms — 2000, February 2005, October 2005, and 2010. The only break came in 2015, when Mohammad Nematullah of the RJD captured the seat. Nematullah, a veteran leader, had earlier won Barauli in 1995 as a Janata Dal candidate, before returning under the RJD banner two decades later.The BJP regained control in 2020, with Rampravesh Rai reclaiming the seat by a decisive margin.