Born in 1981 in Darbhanga to a fisherman family, Mukesh Sahani earned the nickname ‘Son of Mallah’ as a tribute to his community.
Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan has named Mukesh Sahani, chief of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), as its Deputy Chief Ministerial face. The VIP will likely contest around 15 seats in the upcoming elections.
Sahani’s appointment comes after months of negotiations over seat-sharing and almost walking out of the alliance. While the coalition includes bigger parties like RJD, Congress, and CPI-ML, naming Sahani as Deputy CM sends a strong message of inclusivity and strategy.
Born in 1981 in Darbhanga to a fisherman family, Mukesh Sahani earned the nickname ‘Son of Mallah’ as a tribute to his community. At 19, he moved to Mumbai, worked as a salesman, and later broke into Bollywood as a set designer. He worked on movies like Devdas and Bajrangi Bhaijaan and ran Mukesh Cine World Private Limited.
In 2013, inspired by B.R. Ambedkar and former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur, Sahani returned to Bihar to advocate for Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who make up over a third of the state’s population. He launched the VIP in 2018, focusing on Nishad-Mallah rights, a group representing roughly 12% of Bihar voters.
Despite winning just four seats in 2020, Sahani remained influential due to his charisma, caste appeal, and grassroots work. He left the NDA later in 2020, citing disagreements over BJP influence.
The VIP is now a key weapon for Mahagathbandhan to attract EBC voters, especially the Nishad-Mallah community, who had leaned toward the NDA. Experts suggest Sahani could sway 5–7% of EBC votes, which is critical in Bihar’s tightly contested 243-seat Assembly.
Naming Sahani as Deputy CM alongside Tejashwi Yadav as CM candidate signals inclusivity beyond the RJD’s core Muslim-Yadav voters. It strengthens the alliance’s anti-incumbency message around jobs, floods, and development issues.
VIP’s 15-seat focus in EBC-dominated areas allows the Mahagathbandhan to target strategic constituencies while minimizing internal clashes. There is a “friendly fight” among alliance candidates in at least 12 seats, reflecting careful planning.
Sahani has a loyal base in flood-affected northern Bihar. His strong stance against the BJP’s poaching of legislators and active community engagement keep him politically relevant. By including VIP in the alliance leadership, Mahagathbandhan hopes to regain lost EBC support and broaden its voter base across Bihar.
The move positions Mukesh Sahani as the “VIP” of the Mahagathbandhan, highlighting his importance despite the party’s small size. His nomination as Deputy CM underlines the alliance’s strategy to unite different voter groups and counter the NDA in Bihar.
