Bihar polls: It's Mishra vs Mishra in Jale, but Mashkoor factor refuses to die

Known for the Rishi Gautam Ashram — mentioned in Ramcharitmanas — Jale in Darbhanga district is one of those nondescript, backward constituencies that rarely attract national attention. 

But in 2020, it did. And this time again for the 2025 Assembly polls, Jale is back in focus with a triangular contest that captures the churn in Bihar’s caste and community equations.

The fight is, on paper, between Mishra and Mishra — Mahagathbandhan candidate Rishi Mishra and the BJP’s Jibesh Kumar Mishra. But on the ground, a third name dominates conversations: Mashkoor Usmani.

Rishi Mishra, who joined the Congress from the RJD at the last minute, comes from a storied political family. His grandfather, Lalit Narayan Mishra, was a Union minister in the Indira Gandhi cabinet, while his other grandfather, Jagannath Mishra, served as chief minister of Bihar. 

The family’s roots in the region run deep, and Rishi is counting on that old connection and the traditional Brahmin vote to revive the Mahagathbandhan’s political fortunes in Jale.

Across the aisle, Jibesh Kumar Mishra — a Bhumihar — is banking on his performance as the sitting MLA and the BJP’s organisational strength. In 2020, he won largely due to a split in the Muslim vote between the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan and AIMIM’s Mashkoor Usmani.

Usmani, a former president of the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union, became a controversial figure after defending Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait at AMU. Despite that, he polled over 65,000 votes in 2020, making a significant impression among local Muslims.

This time, after being denied a Mahagathbandhan ticket, Usmani is contesting as an independent — and has emerged as a serious player. Volunteers from Mumbai and Delhi have joined his campaign. Jamaat-e-Islami is said to be quietly helping his effort.

In the old haveli of Rahmu Miyan, a former mukhiya of Katasa village, a group of elderly Muslim men voiced their anger over the Mahagathbandhan’s decision. “Mashkoor is educated and fearless. The alliance made a mistake by ignoring him,” said Miraj Ali.

There is palpable resentment in the area’s over 1 lakh-strong Muslim electorate. Many blame RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for blocking Usmani’s candidature. A pamphlet circulating in the constituency urges Muslims to 'unite behind Mashkoor' and accuses Tejashwi of sidelining genuine minority voices.

For Rishi Mishra, the challenge is twofold — to fight the BJP and to win back the trust of Muslim voters. Locals recall whispers from the last election that Rishi had quietly backed the BJP to undercut Mashkoor, a charge he dismisses.

“I am contesting as the Mahagathbandhan candidate. Muslims have a long and old relationship with our family,” he told NH.

Mashkoor, meanwhile, insists he remains committed to fighting “communal and anti-constitutional forces”, and adds, “I was disappointed when denied a ticket, but I continue to stand by the idea of secular politics. If elected, I will support the Mahagathbandhan.”

In the last Assembly elections, the NDA won 17 of the 20 seats across Darbhanga and Madhubani, where Muslims make up 18–22 per cent of the population. A BJP functionary coordinating with the RSS said, “If the Muslim vote divides again, we will gain.”

The Mahagathbandhan is hoping that Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra has rekindled minority confidence in the Congress. “If we win Jale, it will prove that the Congress-Muslim bond — fractured since the Mandal era — is being rebuilt,” said a Congress worker in Beni Patti.

In Jale’s crowded bazaars and quiet villages, the legacy of the Mishras still carries weight. But as polling day approaches, it’s Mashkoor Usmani’s name that keeps coming up — sometimes in hope, sometimes in anger. In this corner of north Bihar, the battle may be between two Mishras, but Mashkoor refuses to die.