PATNA: Bihar-based RJD and JD(U) are eying the votes of migrant residents in Assam and West Bengal in the upcoming assembly elections in these states. It is estimated that around 5-6 per cent of the electorate in the two states comprise Hindi-speaking people who had migrated to Assam and Bengal from UP and Bihar.While the JD (U) has said it would contest 32 seats dominated by Hindi-speaking and minority voters in Assam, the RJD is learnt to have decided to contest in 16 seats in the state.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had recently visited Assam and discussed about an alliance with the Congress-led coalition. According to Patna’s two senior poll analysts Arun Kumar Pandey and Ashok K Mishra, both the RJD and the JDU will be trying to woo the Hindi-speaking people. “It is believed that out of 126 assembly seats in Assam,  results in around 15 seats are dependent on voters of Hindi-speaking belts. These seats are Biswanath, Lakhipur, Sonari, Nalbari, Dhing, Kokrajhar East, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kaliabor, Tiok, Laharghat, Barchala, Dudhani, Dhubri, Gauripur, Raha, Marigaon, Golpara East, Abhaypuri North, Digboi and Naogaigaichh,” said Pandey.

The RJD had contested in Assam elections in 2001 and 2006 while the JDU had contested in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. Both parties had failed to win a single seat.  In Bengal, there are nearly 11 assembly seats which have Hindi-speaking electorate who had migrated from UP, Bihar and Jharkhand.