Bihar: Independent Candidate Secures Victory in Tirhut Graduate By-Elections
Click to start listening
Patna, Dec 10 (NationPress) Vanshidhar Brajwasi, running as an independent, achieved a remarkable victory in the Tirhut Graduate by-election, winning by a margin of around 12,000 votes on Tuesday.
Vinayak Gautam from the Jan Suraaj party took second place, while Gopi Kishan from the RJD and Abhishek Kumar Jha from the JD-U finished in third and fourth positions, respectively. The NDA's candidate, despite extensive campaigning, could not gain traction, signifying a significant defeat for the ruling coalition.
Brajwasi’s win is rooted in a powerful story of resilience and commitment. After his victory, he conveyed to the media that his candidacy emerged from the collective frustration of teachers regarding governmental decisions.
He remarked, “This election represents the struggle of the teachers. Bihar is not anyone's paternal inheritance; every teacher, youth, and child here possesses equal rights to its resources.”
His entry into politics was a direct consequence of his dismissal as a teacher, which he perceived as an effort to silence educators. Instead, it rallied them together in support of his mission, transforming his campaign into a larger movement advocating for justice and rights.
The by-election was initiated due to the resignation of JD(U)’s Deveshchandra Thakur, who left the Tirhut Graduate seat after his election as an MP in the Lok Sabha elections. The voting, which took place on December 5, recorded a turnout of 47.5 percent across 197 booths in the districts of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, and Sheohar.
A total of 18 candidates participated, but it was Brajwasi’s grassroots influence and backing from teachers that proved pivotal.
Vanshidhar Brajwasi served as a block teacher at Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya, Raksa Purvi, in Muzaffarpur district and held the position of president of the Niyojit Shikshak Sangh.
His fight for the rights of contract teachers placed him in conflict with authorities during the time of KK Pathak, who was then the Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department.
Pathak had prohibited teacher protests and deemed unions illegal, resulting in disciplinary measures against Brajwasi.
On March 28, 2023, Muzaffarpur’s District Program Officer mandated action against him, leading to his suspension and eventual dismissal on July 24.
Brajwasi attributed his victory to the government’s actions that invigorated teacher support, stating, “If the government had not dismissed me, I would not have become an MLC today.”
