Mukesh Sahani on EBC Vote & Being Bihar Deputy CM Nominee

The Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has announced Vikassheel Insan Party chief Mukesh Sahani as its Deputy chief minister candidate in the ongoing elections. Who is Mukesh Sahani? What explains his rise in Bihar’s politics? And what can be expected from him if Mahagathbandhan comes to power?

The Quint put these questions to Mukesh Sahani on the sidelines of his campaign in the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections.

“I have been fighting for the welfare of the Nishad community for over a decade. We are 11 percent of the population in Bihar. This is a fight for our rights. In Delhi and Bengal, we have SC status. We want the same in Bihar,” Sahani told The Quint.

He expressed his disagreement with reports that the Mallah community are 2.5 percent of Bihar’s population and asserted that the numbers are much higher.

“Nishad are a cluster of communities. We are over 10 percent of the population,” he said.