Jan Suraaj’s RK Mishra loses to five-term BJP MLA Sanjay Saraogi in Darbhanga assembly seat

LAtest information from the ECI showed Rakesh Kumar Mishra of the Jan Suraaj company losing to Sanjay Saraogi of the Bharatiya Janata company in Darbhanga sit down. Mishra secured 11,758 votes, spell Saraogi obtained 97,453 votes. Meanwhile, Umesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party garnered 72,860 votes.BJP's Sanjay Saraogi led the trio decisively while enjoying a comfortable margin of over 24,593 votes. Saraogi is the incumbent MLA and has won five consecutive terms, including a victory margin of 10,639 votes in 2020.Also Read | Will Prashant Kishor play the kingmaker?Who is Rakesh Kumar Mishra?RK Mishra is a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer with decades of experience in police administration.During his career, he served as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Home Guards in Bihar.Mishra is particularly remembered for his decisive role during the 1989 Bhagalpur riots. These communal riots lasted for nearly two months, during which mobs burned more than 250 villages and committed mass killings in the eastern district.During this critical time, Mishra played a key role in controlling the violence and restoring order, earning him recognition for his courage and administrative acumen.Beyond his policing career, Mishra has been associated with the Jan Suraj Party since its early days.Also Read | Bihar: Prashant Kishor’s party creates buzz in Seemanchal, but will it convert to votes?Who is Sanjay Saraogi, RK Mishra’s opponent?Sanjay Saraogi is a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party and a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.He was elected to the Assembly for the first time in February 2005 and again in October 2005, then again in 2010, defeating the nearest RJD candidate by a margin of 26,000 votes from Darbhanga.He again defeated Mahagathbandhan candidate and former mayor Om Prakash Kheria by a margin of 7000 votes in the 2015 Bihar assembly election.In the 2020 Bihar Assembly Election, he again defeated RJD candidate Amarnath Gami by the margin of more than 10,000 votesMore about Darbhanga constituencyDarbhanga is a major medical and educational hub in North Bihar.The city hosts the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, the Mithila Minority Dental College and Hospital, and the upcoming All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). It is also known for its trade in local produce, including fish, mangoes, and makhana.Politically, Darbhanga had been a Congress stronghold initially followed by consecutive BJP wins.Since becoming an assembly constituency in 1951, it has held 17 elections with relatively little volatility. Initially dominated by Congress, which won the first four elections and six in total, the constituency gradually became a BJP stronghold, securing seven victories, including one as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1972.BJP’s grip strengthened after 1995, except for a narrow 795-vote loss to the RJD in 2000.Sitting MLA Sanjay Saraogi has won five consecutive terms, including a 10,639-vote margin in 2020. The BJP has also largely controlled the Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat, winning five of the last six polls, with four straight wins since 2009.The constituency’s electorate includes 12.34% Scheduled Castes and 23.3% Muslims, with urban voters forming 76.76% and rural voters 23.24%.The electorate grew from 305,788 in 2020 to 314,719 in 2024, and a 55.79% turnout in 2020 reflects steady voter engagement for the region.