When everyone’s eyes were on Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat

Bihar Election History: Patna. After the differences between Jawahar Lal Nehru and Maharaja Kameshwar Singh regarding the abolition of Zamindari, the country and abroad had an eye on Darbhanga in the first elections of 1952. Maharaj Kameshwar Singh was contesting the elections as an independent candidate from here. Darbhanga Maharaj’s family also had a deep connection with the freedom struggle and subsequent electoral politics. Darbhanga royal family had an important role in the establishment of Congress, but in the elections of 1922, Congress fielded Sachchidanand Sinha as a candidate against Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Darbhanga and Rameshwar Singh lost that election. Rameshwar Singh’s son Maharaj Kameshwar Singh was elected member of the Constituent Assembly. In the first general assembly held after independence in 1952, he contested the elections as an independent against Congress.

Maharaja’s election campaign was unique

In that tsunami of Congress, Kameshwar Singh’s method of election campaign was also unique. He used to meet people away from all the fuss and with a scarf on his head. As much as Kameshwar Singh was discussed outside Bihar, people in Darbhanga also wanted to see and hear him. In those days, it was a topic of discussion in the area that Maharaj Saheb was contesting the elections. People knew Kameshwar Singh only by the name of Maharaj. Remembering those days, people say that whatever material Maharaj Saheb sent for the people, some of his people cheated.

Congress people were Maharaja’s workers

People who took part in the 1952 elections say that the things emanating from the palace used to reach the common people in the name of Congress candidates. When the election results came, Maharaj Kameshwar Singh lagged behind by less than eight thousand votes. The then Congress candidate Shyamanandan Mishra won. Srinarayan Das of Congress was successful in winning the election from Darbhanga Central seat. Kameshwar Singh did not contest the Lok Sabha elections for the second time.

Also Read: Congress was evicted from its traditional seats in Bihar, know what happened with Kanhaiya.

Became Jharkhand Party candidate to Rajya Sabha twice

In 1952, he was elected member of Rajya Sabha. He won the Rajya Sabha elections with the votes of the MLAs who were with Jharkhand Party’s Jaipal Singh Munda. Jaipal Singh Munda’s party had 26 MLAs in the Bihar Assembly. In this Rajya Sabha election, other candidates of Congress had lost the election. Maharaja Kameshwar Singh was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1952 to 58. After this, he was again elected member of Rajya Sabha in 1960. He had presented his stand on many important issues in the Rajya Sabha. He died in 1962.