In the midst of the intense pre-poll atmosphere of Bihar’s 2025 assembly elections, a troubling incident has put the spotlight on one of the contenders from the ruling alliance: Jyoti Manjhi, candidate from the Barachatti constituency and relative of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. During a campaign event in Barachatti, Manjhi’s open-jeep convoy was allegedly pelted with stones by unknown assailants, triggering alarm among her supporters and a swift political backlash.
According to party sources, the attack occurred as she was campaigning in a public rally in her home constituency, surrounded by supporters. A stone is reported to have struck her vehicle, and she was said to have been taken to hospital. The timing so close to the first phase of voting adds to the charged political context.
However, official statements raise questions about the narrative. Local police and district administration officials have stated that initial medical examination found no injuries on Manjhi, and no vehicle damage or eyewitness evidence of stone-throwing has been firmly verified. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the matter further.
The polarised electoral environment in Bihar amplifies the significance of such incidents. For the ruling alliance, the attack narrative becomes a rallying cry—claiming that opposition forces are attempting to intimidate their candidates and supporters. For rival camps, the ambiguity in the investigation offers space to challenge the version, raise doubts, or allege political drama. For voters in Barachatti, this incident may underscore concerns over safety, fairness
Regardless of the final finding, the event injects an element of fear, urgency and media scrutiny into a constituency already fraught with caste, identity and development fault-lines. The true test will be how the institutions respond: will the probe prompt arrests, credible transparency
