As the campaign for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections gains momentum, the two main rivals, the Mahagathbandhan or INDIA bloc and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), are targeting the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who could be decisive in this high-stakes contest.

Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, has declared that Mukesh Sahani, popularly known as the “Son of Mallah", will be one of the deputy chief ministers if the alliance comes to power. This move is seen as a strategic effort to attract EBC voters, who are traditionally loyal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar.

The Nishad community, along with sub-castes such as Mallah, Kevat, Bind, and Kashyap, makes up around 5.5 per cent of Bihar’s population. Sahan

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