| Election Name: | 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly election |
| Country: | India |
| Flag Year: | 1996 |
| Type: | Legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election |
| Previous Year: | 1995 |
| Seats For Election: | All 324 seats of the Bihar Legislative Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 162 |
| Turnout: | 62.57% |
| Leader1: | Rabri Devi |
| Image1: | Rabri Devi presenting a cheque for Rs. 10 crore on behalf of the State Government to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh for the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, in New Delhi on January 04, 2005 (cropped).jpg |
| Leader Since1: | 1997 |
| Party1: | Rashtriya Janata Dal |
| Seats Before1: | New |
| Leaders Seat1: | Danapur |
| Seats Needed1: | 122 |
| Seats1: | 124 |
| Seat Change1: | New |
| Popular Vote1: | 10,500,361 |
| Percentage1: | 28.34% |
| Swing1: | New |
| Party2: | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Alliance2: | NDA |
| Leader2: | Sushil Modi |
| Leaders Seat2: | Patna Central |
| Leader Since2: | 1997 |
| Seats Before2: | 41 |
| Electoral Vote2: | 122 |
| Seats2: | 67 |
| Seat Change2: | 16 |
| Popular Vote2: | 5,424,687 |
| Percentage2: | 14.64% |
| Swing2: | 1.68% |
| Party3: | Samata Party |
| Alliance3: | NDA |
| Image3: | File:The Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar meeting with the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia to finalize Annual Plan 2007-08 of the State, in New Delhi on February 14, 2007 (Nitish Kumar) (cropped).jpg |
| Leader3: | Nitish Kumar |
| Leaders Seat3: | Did not contest |
| Leader Since3: | 1994 |
| Seats Before3: | 7 |
| Seats Needed3: | 122 |
| Seats3: | 34 |
| Seat Change3: | 27 |
| Popular Vote3: | 3,205,746 |
| Percentage3: | 8.65% |
| Swing3: | 1.59% |
| Party4: | Indian National Congress |
| Image4: | File:Shri Shaqeel Ahmed in his office after taking over the charge as the Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology in New Delhi on May 24, 2004.jpg |
| Leader Since4: | 2000 |
| Seats Before4: | 29 |
| Seats Needed4: | 122 |
| Seats4: | 23 |
| Seat Change4: | 6 |
| Popular Vote4: | 4,096,467 |
| Percentage4: | 11.06% |
| Swing4: | 5.21% |
| Map Size: | 250 px |
| CM | |
| Before Election: | Rabri Devi |
| After Election: | Nitish Kumar |
| Before Party: | Rashtriya Janata Dal |
| After Party: | Samata Party |
The voter turnout in 2000 assembly polls was 62.6%.[1] [2] [3]
Between 1990 and 2000, Bihar's per capita income, according to a World Bank estimate, fell from 1,373 to 1,289. Power consumption in Bihar went down from 84 KWH to 60 KWH and it registered the lowest number of Internet users among Indian states. As per a Business Today -Gallup survey in December 1999, Bihar was the worst state for investment.[4]
In 1999 Lok Sabha elections Rashtriya Janata Dal received a setback at the hand of BJP+JD(U) combine. The new coalition emerged leading in 199 out of 324 assembly constituencies and it was widely believed that in the forthcoming election to Bihar state assembly elections, the Lalu-Rabri rule will come to an end. The RJD had fought the election in an alliance with the Congress but the coalition didn't work making state leadership of Congress believe that the maligned image of Lalu Prasad after his name was drawn in the Fodder Scam had eroded his support base. Consequently, Congress decided to fight the 2000 assembly elections alone.
The RJD had to be satisfied with the communist parties as coalition partners but the seat-sharing conundrum in the camp of National Democratic Alliance made Kumar pull his Samta Party out of the Sharad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan faction of the Janata Dal.Differences also arose between the BJP and Kumar as the latter wanted to be projected as the Chief Minister of Bihar but the former was not in favour. Even Paswan also wanted to be a CM face. The Muslims and OBCs were too divided in their opinion. A section of Muslims, which included the poor communities like Pasmanda were of the view that Lalu only strengthened upper Muslims like Shaikh, Sayyid and Pathans and they were in search of new options.[5]
Yadav also alienated other dominant backward castes like Koeri and Kurmi since his projection as the saviour of Muslims. It is argued by Sanjay Kumar that the belief that, "the dominant OBCs like the twin caste of Koeri-Kurmi will ask for share in power if he (Yadav) seeks their support while the Muslims will remain satisfied with the protection during communal riots only" made Yadav neglect them. Moreover, the divisions in both the camps made the political atmosphere in the state a charged one in which many parties were fighting against each other with no visible frontiers. JD(U) and BJP were fighting against each other on some of the seats and so was the Samta Party.[5]
| Constituency | Reserved for (SC/ST/None) | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhanaha | None | Rajesh Singh | ||
| Bagha | SC | |||
| Ramnagar | None | Chandra Mohan Ray | ||
| Shikarpur | SC | Bhagirathi Devi | ||
| Sikta | None | Dilip Kr. Varma | ||
| Lauria | None | Vishwa Mohan Sharma | ||
| Chanpatia | None | Krishna Kumar Mishra | ||
| Bettiah | None | |||
| Nautan | None | |||
| Raxaul | None | Ajay Kumar Singh | ||
| Sugauli | None | Vijay Prasad Gupta | ||
| Motihari | None | |||
| Adapur | None | Birendra Prasad Kushwaha | ||
| Dhaka | None | Manoj Kumar Singh | ||
| Ghorasahan | None | Laxmi Na. Prasad Yadav | ||
| Madhuban | None | |||
| Pipra | SC | Surendra Kumar Chandra | ||
| Kesariya | None | Obaidullah | ||
| Harsidhi | None | Maheshwar Singh | ||
| Gobindganj | None | Rajan Tiwari | ||
| Kateya | None | Kiran Devi | ||
| Bhore | SC | Acharya Vishwanath Baitha | ||
| Mirganj | None | Prabhu Dayal Singh Kushwaha | ||
| Gopalganj | None | |||
| Barauli | None | Ram Pravesh Rai | ||
| Baikunthpur | None | Manjeet Kumar Singh | ||
| Basantpur | None | Satyadeo Pd. Singh | ||
| Goreakothi | None | Indradeo Prasad | ||
| Siwan | None | |||
| Mairwa | SC | Satyadeo Ram | ||
| Darauli | None | Sheo Shankar Yadav | ||
| Ziradei | None | M. Azazul Haque | ||
| Maharajganj | None | Umashankar Singh (sawan Bigrah) | ||
| Raghunathpur | None | |||
| Manjhi | None | Ravindra Nath Mishra | ||
| Baniapur | None | Manoranjan Singh | ||
| Masrakh | None | Tarkeshwar Singh | ||
| Taraiya | None | Ram Das Ray | ||
| Marhaura | None | Yadubanshi Rai | ||
| Jalalpur | None | |||
| Chapra | None | Udit Rai | ||
| Garkha | SC | Muneshwar Chaudhary | ||
| Parsa | None | |||
| Sonepur | None | Vinay Kumar Singh | ||
| Hajipur | None | |||
| Raghopur | None | Lalu Prasad Yadav | ||
| Mahnar | None | Rama Kishore Singh | ||
| Jandaha | None | Upendra Kushwaha | ||
| Patepur | SC | Prema Chaudhary | ||
| Mahua | SC | |||
| Lalganj | None | Vijay Shukal | ||
| Vaishali | None | Veena Shahi | ||
| Paru | None | Mithilesh Pd. Yadav | ||
| Sahebganj | None | Ram Vichar Rai | ||
| Baruraj | None | Shashi Kumar Rai | ||
| Kanti | None | Gulam Jilani Warasi | ||
| Kurhani | None | |||
| Sakra | SC | Sital Ram | ||
| Muzaffarpur | None | Vijendra Chaudhary | ||
| Bochaha | SC | |||
| Gaighatti | None | Veerendra Kumar Singh | ||
| Aurai | None | Ganesh Prasad Yadav | ||
| Minapur | None | |||
| Runisaidpur | None | Bhola Rai | ||
| Belsand | None | Ram Swarth Rai | ||
| Sheohar | None | Sataya Nr. Prasad | ||
| Sitamarhi | None | Shahid Ali Khan | ||
| Bathnaha | None | Suryadeo Rai | ||
| Majorganj | SC | Gauri Shankar Nagdansh | ||
| Sonbarsa | None | |||
| Sursand | None | |||
| Pupri | None | Sita Ram Yadav | ||
| Benipatti | None | Ramashish Yadav | ||
| Bisfi | None | |||
| Harlakhi | None | Sitaram Yadav | ||
| Khajauli | SC | Ram Lakhan Ram "raman" | ||
| Babubarhi | None | Deo Narayan Yadav | ||
| Madhubani | None | Ramdev Mahato | ||
| Pandaul | None | Naiyar Azam | ||
| Jhanjharpur | None | Jagdish Narayan Chaudhary | ||
| Phulparas | None | Ram Kumar Yadav | ||
| Laukaha | None | Hari Pd. Sah | ||
| Madhepur | None | Jagat Nr. Singh | ||
| Manigachhi | None | Lalit Kr. Yadav | ||
| Bahera | None | |||
| Ghanshyampur | None | Mahavir Prasad | ||
| Baheri | None | Ramanand Singh | ||
| Darbhanga Rural | SC | |||
| Darbhanga | None | Sultan Ahmad | ||
| Keoti | None | |||
| Jale | None | Vijay Kumar Mishra | ||
| Hayaghat | None | Umadhar Pd.singh | ||
| Kalyanpur | None | |||
| Warisnagar | SC | Ram Sewak Hazari | ||
| Samastipur | None | |||
| Sarairanjan | None | Ramashraya Sahni | ||
| Mohiuddin Nagar | None | Ram Chandra Rai | ||
| Dalsinghsarai | None | |||
| Bibhutpur | None | |||
| Rosera | SC | Ashok Kumar | ||
| Singhia | None | Dr. Ashok Kumar | ||
| Hasanpur | None | |||
| Balia | None | Shrinarayan Yadav | ||
| Matihani | None | Rajendra Rajan | ||
| Begusarai | None | Bhola Pd. Singh | ||
| Barauni | None | Rajendra Pd. Singh | ||
| Bachwara | None | Uttam Kumar Yadav | ||
| Cheria Bariarpur | None | Ashok Kumar | ||
| Bakhri | SC | Ramanand Ram | ||
| Raghopur | None | Uday Prasad Goet | ||
| Kishunpur | None | Yaduwansh Kumar Yadav | ||
| Supaul | None | Bijendra Pd. Yadav | ||
| Tribeniganj | None | |||
| Chhatapur | SC | Gita Devi | ||
| Kumarkhand | SC | Bhupendra Rishideo | ||
| Singheshwar | None | Vijay Kumar Singh | ||
| Saharsa | None | Shankar Prasad Tekriwal | ||
| Mahishi | None | Abdul Ghafoor | ||
| Simri-bakhtiarpur | None | |||
| Madhepura | None | Rajendra Prasad Yadav | ||
| Sonbarsa | None | Ashok Kumar Singh | ||
| Kishanganj | None | Prof. Ravindra Charan Yadav | ||
| Alamnagar | None | Narendra Nr. Yadav | ||
| Rupauli | None | |||
| Dhamdaha | None | |||
| Banmankhi | SC | Deo Narayan Rajak | ||
| Raniganj | SC | Yamuna Prasad Ram | ||
| Narpatganj | None | Janardan Yadav | ||
| Forbesganj | None | Zakir Hussain Khan | ||
| Araria | None | Bijay Kumar Mandal | ||
| Sikti | None | Anandi Prasad Yadav | ||
| Jokihat | None | Sarfraz | ||
| Bahadurganj | None | |||
| Thakurganj | None | Mohammad Jawed | ||
| Kishanganj | None | Taslimuddin | ||
| Amour | None | |||
| Baisi | None | Abdus Subhan | ||
| Kasba | None | Pradip Kr. Das | ||
| Purnea | None | Raj Kishore Kesri | ||
| Korha | SC | Mahesh Paswan | ||
| Barari | None | Mansoor Alam | ||
| Katihar | None | |||
| Kadwa | None | Himraj Singh | ||
| Barsoi | None | Mahboob Alam | ||
| Pranpur | None | Binod Singh Kushwaha | ||
| Manihari | None | Vishwanath Singh | ||
| Rajmahal | None | Arun Mandal | ||
| Borio | ST | Lobin Hembrom | ||
| Barhait | ST | |||
| Litipara | ST | Sushila Hansda | ||
| Pakaur | None | |||
| Maheshpur | ST | Devidhan Besra | ||
| Sikaripara | ST | Nalin Soren | ||
| Nala | None | Bisheswar Khan | ||
| Jamtara | None | |||
| Sarath | None | Shashank Shekhar Bhokta | ||
| Madhupur | None | Hussain Ansari | ||
| Deoghar | SC | Suresh Paswan | ||
| Jarmundi | None | Dvendra Kuwar | ||
| Dumka | ST | |||
| Jama | ST | |||
| Poreyahat | None | Pradeep Yadav | ||
| Godda | None | Sanjay Prasad Yadav | ||
| Mahagama | None | Ashok Kumar | ||
| Pirpainti | None | Shobhakant Mandal | ||
| Colgong | None | |||
| Nathnagar | None | Sudha Shrivastava | ||
| Bhagalpur | None | |||
| Gopalpur | None | Rabindra Kr. Rana | ||
| Bihpur | None | Shailesh Kumar | ||
| Sultanganj | SC | Ganesh Paswan | ||
| Amarpur | None | Surendra Prasad Singh Kushwaha | ||
| Dhuraiya | SC | |||
| Banka | None | Ram Narayan Mandal | ||
| Belhar | None | Ramdeo Yadav | ||
| Katoria | None | |||
| Chakai | None | Narendra Singh | ||
| Jhajha | None | Damodar Rawat | ||
| Tarapur | None | |||
| Kharagpur | None | |||
| Parbatta | None | Rakesh Kr. alias Samrat Chaudhary | ||
| Chautham | None | Panna Lal Singh 'patel' | ||
| Khagaria | None | Yogendra Singh Kushwaha | ||
| Alauli | SC | |||
| Monghyr | None | Monazir Hassan | ||
| Jamalpur | None | Upendra Prasad Verma | ||
| Surajgarha | None | |||
| Jamui | None | Narendra Singh | ||
| Sikandra | SC | Prayaag Choudhary | ||
| Lakhisarai | None | Krishna Chandra Pd. Singh | ||
| Sheikhpura | None | Sanjay Kumar Singh | ||
| Barbigha | SC | |||
| Asthawan | None | Raghunath Prasad Sharma | ||
| Bihar | None | Syed Naushadunnabi | ||
| Rajgir | SC | |||
| Nalanda | None | Shrawan Kumar | ||
| Islampur | None | Ramswaroop Prasad | ||
| Hilsa | None | Ramcharitra Prasad Singh | ||
| Chandi | None | Harinarain Singh | ||
| Harnaut | None | Vishvamohan Choudhary | ||
| Mokameh | None | Suraj Singh | ||
| Barh | None | Bhunewashwar Prasad Singh Alias Pappu Jee | ||
| Bakhtiarpur | None | Vinod Yadav | ||
| Fatwa | SC | Dinesh Choudhary | ||
| Masaurhi | None | Dharmendra Prasad | ||
| Patna West | None | |||
| Patna Central | None | |||
| Patna East | None | |||
| Dinapur | None | |||
| Maner | None | |||
| Phulwari | SC | |||
| Bikram | None | Ram Janam Sharma | ||
| Paliganj | None | Dinanath Singh | ||
| Sandesh | None | Vijayendra Kumar Singh Yadav | ||
| Barhara | None | Raghwendra Pratap Singh | ||
| Arrah | None | Amrendra Pratap Singh | ||
| Shahpur | None | |||
| Brahmpur | None | Ajit Chaudhary | ||
| Buxar | None | Sukhada Pandey | ||
| Rajpur | SC | Chhedi Lal Ram | ||
| Dumraon | None | Dadan Singh | ||
| Jagdishpur | None | Shri Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha | ||
| Piro | None | Narendra Kumar Pande | ||
| Sahar | SC | Ram Naresh Ram | ||
| Karakat | None | Arun Singh Kushwaha | ||
| Bikramganj | None | Akhlaque Ahmad | ||
| Dinara | None | Ram Dhani Singh | ||
| Ramgarh | None | |||
| Mohania | SC | Suresh Pasi | ||
| Bhabhua | None | Pramod Singh | ||
| Chainpur | None | |||
| Sasaram | None | Ashok Kushwaha | ||
| Chenari | SC | |||
| Nokha | None | Rameshwar Prasad | ||
| Dehri | None | Md. Ilyas Husain | ||
| Nabinagar | None | Bheem Kumar | ||
| Deo | SC | Suresh Paswan | ||
| Aurangabad | None | Suresh Mehta | ||
| Rafiganj | None | Sushil Kumar Singh | ||
| Obra | None | |||
| Goh | None | Deo Kumar Sharma | ||
| Arwal | None | |||
| Kurtha | None | Shiv Bachan Yadav | ||
| Makhdumpur | None | |||
| Jahanabad | None | |||
| Ghosi | None | Jagdish Sharma | ||
| Belaganj | None | |||
| Konch | None | Mahesh Singh Yadav | ||
| Gaya Mufassil | None | Vinod Kumar Yadvendu | ||
| Gaya Town | None | Prem Kumar | ||
| Imamganj | SC | Uday Narayan Chaudhary | ||
| Gurua | None | Shakeel Ahmad Kha | ||
| Bodh Gaya | SC | |||
| Barachatti | SC | Bhagwatee Devi | ||
| Fatehpur | SC | Shyamdeo Paswan | ||
| Atri | None | Rajendra Prasad Yadav | ||
| Nawada | None | Rajballabh Prasad | ||
| Rajauli | SC | Rajaram Paswan | ||
| Gobindpur | None | Gayatri Devi | ||
| Warsaliganj | None | Aruna Devi | ||
| Hisua | None | Aditya Singh | ||
| Kodarma | None | Annapurna Devi | ||
| Barhi | None | Manoj Kumar Yadav | ||
| Chatra | SC | |||
| Simaria | SC | Yogendra Nath Baitha | ||
| Barkagaon | None | |||
| Ramgarh | None | Sabir Ahmed Quaresi Alias Bhera Singh | ||
| Mandu | None | Teklal Mahto | ||
| Hazaribagh | None | |||
| Barkatha | None | |||
| Dhanwar | None | Rabindra Kr. Ray | ||
| Bagodar | None | Mahendra Prasad Singh | ||
| Jamua | SC | Baldeo Hazra | ||
| Gandey | None | Salkhan Soren | ||
| Giridih | None | Chandra Mohan Prasad | ||
| Dumri | None | Lal Chand Mahto | ||
| Gomia | None | Madhav Lal Singh | ||
| Bermo | None | Rajendra Prasad Singh | ||
| Bokaro | None | Samaresh Singh | ||
| Tundi | None | Saba Ahmad | ||
| Baghmara | None | Jaleshwar Mahato | ||
| Sindri | None | Fulchand Mandal | ||
| Nirsa | None | Gurudas Chaterjee | ||
| Dhanbad | None | Pashupati Nath Singh | ||
| Jharia | None | Bacha Singh | ||
| Chandankiyari | SC | Haru Rajwar | ||
| Baharagora | None | Dinesh Kumar Sarangi | ||
| Ghatsila | ST | |||
| Potka | ST | Menka Sardar | ||
| Jugsalai | SC | Dulal Bhuiyan | ||
| Jamshedpur East | None | |||
| Jamshedpur West | None | |||
| Ichagarh | None | Arvind Kumar Singh | ||
| Seraikella | ST | Anant Ram Tudu | ||
| Chaibasa | ST | Bagun Sumbrui | ||
| Majhgaon | ST | Badkunwar Gagrai | ||
| Jaganathpur | ST | |||
| Manoharpur | ST | |||
| Chakradharpur | ST | Chumnu Oraon | ||
| Kharasawan | ST | |||
| Tamar | ST | Ramesh Singh Munda | ||
| Torpa | ST | Koche Munda | ||
| Khunti | ST | Nilkanth Singh Munda | ||
| Silli | None | |||
| Khijri | ST | Sawna Lakra | ||
| Ranchi | None | |||
| Hatia | None | Ramji Lal Sharda | ||
| Kanke | SC | Ram Chandra Nayak | ||
| Mandar | ST | Deo Kumar Dhan | ||
| Sisai | ST | Dinesh Oraon | ||
| Kolebira | ST | Theodor Kiro | ||
| Simdega | ST | Niel Tirkey | ||
| Gumla | ST | |||
| Bishnupur | ST | |||
| Lohardaga | ST | Sadhanu Bhagat | ||
| Latehar | SC | Baidynath Ram | ||
| Manika | ST | Yamuna Singh | ||
| Panki | None | Madhu Singh | ||
| Daltonganj | None | |||
| Garhwa | None | Girinath Singh | ||
| Bhawanathpur | None | Ram Chandra Pd. Keshri | ||
| Bishrampur | None | Chandrashekhar Dubey | ||
| Chhatarpur | SC | Manoj Kumar | ||
| Hussainabad | None | Sanjay Kumar Singh Yadav | ||
The result was a setback for the BJP, which in media campaigns was emerging with a massive victory. RJD emerged as the single largest party. In March 2000, Nitish Kumar was elected Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time at the behest of the Vajpayee Government in the centre.[6] NDA and allies had 151 MLAs whereas Lalu Prasad Yadav had 159 MLAs in the 324 member house. Both alliances were less than the majority mark that is 163. Nitish resigned before he could prove his numbers in the house.[7] [8] He lasted 7 days in the post.[9]
With the political manoeuvring of Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi was sworn in as the Chief Minister again.[10] The ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal agreed to the formation of Jharkhand though a large chunk of Bihar's revenues went to the new State, because the party then had a majority of its own in the Bihar Assembly after the bifurcation of the State.
The media largely failed to gauge the ground level polarisation in Bihar. According to Sanjay Kumar: Even after serving imprisonment in connection with the 1997 scam, Lalu seemed to relish his role as the lower-caste jester. He argued that corruption charges against him and his family were the conspiracy of the upper-caste bureaucracy and media elites threatened by the rise of peasant cultivator castes.