UK-educated RJD candidate blends legacy & modernity in Lalganj seat

Patna: As Bihar readies itself for the upcoming assembly elections, a fresh breed of globally trained candidates is adding a cosmopolitan edge to the state’s political scene. Among them stands 28-year-old Shivani Shukla, an LLM graduate from the University of Leeds, who has emerged as a symbol of new-age politics intertwined with an enduring family legacy.

Contesting from Vaishali’s Lalganj on a RJD ticket, Shivani represents both continuity and change in a state long defined by caste and clan.Her nomination filing on Oct 17 in Vaishali district was more than just an electoral beginning. Dressed in a crisp sari and radiating quiet confidence, Shivani said, “I am bringing politics of education and development, not muscle power. I want to generate employment for the locals.”

Her words echoed through Lalganj’s villages, where unemployment and neglect remain pressing issues.Shivani, daughter of former MLA and strongman Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla, carries both the weight of her lineage and the promise of reform. Her educational path – from Delhi Public School, R K Puram, to Alliance University in Bengaluru and finally Leeds in the UK – has set her apart in Bihar’s rustic political corridors.

Her campaign blends sharp intellect with grounded simplicity as she moves through dusty lanes engaging with villagers about healthcare, education and livelihoods.She faces a formidable contest against the sitting MLA Sanjay Kumar Singh of the BJP, who had earlier secured the seat with 70,750 votes, with the Congress’s Rakesh Kumar trailing behind. Yet, Shivani’s rhetoric slices through political complacency.

“No work has been done for the people, and those who are claiming so should show where the development is,” she said. In a biting remark that drew laughter from her supporters, she added, “The development has soared to such heights that while the poverty line lingers at a modest Rs 800-odd, the gas cylinder majestically reigns at Rs 970.

”But the day she filed her nomination also brought an emotional twist. It had been one year and four days since she last saw her father.

“Who doesn’t miss their father?” she said softly, her eyes moist. “Just remembering him brings peace. I know his blessings are always with me.” Her father, currently in judicial custody, was brought to the venue under heavy security. “He could not speak much. We just looked at each other.

I kept crying,” she recalled — a scene that blended political ambition with deeply human emotion.Her entry into the contest briefly caused friction within the Grand Alliance, as the Congress had also fielded its candidate, Aditya Kumar Raja, from Lalganj.

The issue settled when Raja withdrew his nomination on Oct 20, clearing the path for a unified RJD push.The Lalganj seat holds historical significance for the Shukla family. Munna Shukla won it first in 2000 as an Independent while lodged in Hajipur jail, later repeating victories in 2005 under LJP and JD(U) banners. In 2010, his wife Annu Shukla carried the family’s legacy forward by winning the seat on a JD(U) ticket.

Though Munna Shukla lost the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on an RJD ticket, Shivani now seeks to reignite the family’s political flame with a fresh perspective and modern sensibility.Married to Varun Tiwari, Shivani has declared movable assets worth over Rs 21 lakh in her election affidavit with no immovable property. Her affidavit also lists an education loan of Rs 36 lakh, taken to fund her studies in London. Her husband, meanwhile, holds Rs 48,900 in cash.