Jhanjharpur Assembly Seat: From Professor to CM – The Journey of Jagannath Mishra

Bihar Election 2025 - Jhanjharpur Assembly Seat Equation : From Professor to CM

The Jhanjharpur assembly seat has a rich political history, full of ups and downs. One of the most well-known leaders from this seat is former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra. His son, Nitish Mishra, is the current MLA from Jhanjharpur and also a minister in Nitish Kumar’s government.

Where is the Jhanjharpur Assembly Seat?

Jhanjharpur is part of Madhubani district, one of the 38 districts of Bihar. The district has 10 assembly constituencies, including Jhanjharpur, Harlakhi, Benipatti, Khajauli, Babubarhi, Bisfi, Madhubani, Rajnagar, Phulparas, and Laukha. The first election in Jhanjharpur assembly seat was held in 1952.

When Congress Faced Its First Defeat

In 1969, the Congress party lost the Jhanjharpur seat for the first time. Ramfal Chaudhary of the United Socialist Party won and defeated Rajendra Jha of Bharatiya Jana Sangh by 8,665 votes.

Jagannath Mishra Enters the Scene

In 1972, Congress regained control of the Jhanjharpur assembly seat with Jagannath Mishra as its candidate. Before politics, Mishra was an economics professor at Bihar University in Muzaffarpur. His political journey began with help from his elder brother, Lalit Narayan Mishra, a strong Congress leader. LN Mishra played a big role in launching Jagannath Mishra's political career.

Three-Time Chief Minister – All from Jhanjharpur

Jagannath Mishra became Chief Minister of Bihar three times, with his journey starting from Jhanjharpur. Even though he couldn’t complete a full five-year term as CM, his connection to this seat remained strong. He represented Jhanjharpur assembly seat from 1972 to 1995, winning the seat five times.

Jagannath Mishra’s Winning Streak (1972–1990)

1972: Defeated Ram Phal Chaudhary (Socialist Party) by 36,542 votes
1977: Beat Jagdish Narayan Chaudhary (Janata Party) during the strong Janata wave by 20,927 votes
1980: Won against Ram Dev Bhandari (Janata Party - Secular) by 49,189 votes
1985: Defeated Ras Lal Yadav (Lok Dal) by a massive margin of 55,928 votes
1990: Won against Arun Kumar Lal Das (Janata Dal) by 44,706 votes

1995: A New Chapter

In 1994, Jagannath Mishra was sent to the Rajya Sabha, and he didn’t contest from Jhanjharpur again. In 1995, Ram Avtar Chaudhary of Janata Dal won the seat, defeating Congress’s Dev Chandra Jha by 23,029 votes.

RJD Takes Over in 2000

In 2000, RJD’s Jagdish Narayan Chaudhary defeated Nitish Mishra, son of Jagannath Mishra, by 10,049 votes. This was a tough loss for the Mishra family. Since then, the Congress party hasn’t won the Jhanjharpur assembly seat again.

Nitish Mishra’s Strong Comeback in 2005

In 2005, Nitish Mishra made a strong comeback. That year, Bihar saw two elections – in February and October.

February 2005: Nitish Mishra (JDU) won, defeating Jagdish Narayan Chaudhary (RJD) by 16,039 votes
October 2005: He again defeated Ram Avtar Chaudhary (RJD) by 16,660 votes
2010: Scored a hat-trick by winning against Jagat Narayan Singh (RJD) by 20,681 votes

2015: A Close Loss

In 2015, Nitish Mishra lost to RJD’s Gulab Yadav by a very narrow margin of 834 votes. This time, Mishra contested on a BJP ticket.

2020: Big Win for Nitish Mishra

In the 2020 assembly elections, Nitish Mishra (BJP) returned stronger. He defeated Ram Narayan Yadav of the Communist Party of India by a huge margin of 41,788 votes.

Final Thoughts

The Jhanjharpur assembly seat has played a key role in Bihar’s political landscape. From the rise of Jagannath Mishra to the political journey of his son Nitish Mishra, this seat has seen major leaders shape the future of the state. Today, Jhanjharpur remains a stronghold for Nitish Mishra, continuing the legacy started by his father decades ago.