Valmiki Nagar is an assembly constituency in the West Champaran district of Bihar. It is numbered 1 among the 243 constituencies of the Bihar Legislative Assembly and falls under the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituency.
📍 Geographical and Administrative Structure
The Valmiki Nagar Assembly Constituency was created following the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India, 2008. It covers both rural and semi-urban regions near the Indo-Nepal border and is located within the Terai belt near the Himalayan foothills, rich in biodiversity and forests.
Areas included in the constituency:
It consists of several community development blocks and gram panchayats from the district:
- Blocks: Piprasi, Madhubani (not to be confused with Madhubani district), Thakrahan, and Bhitaha
- Part of Sidhaw block, including the following Gram Panchayats:
🗳️ Political Overview and Election Results
Current MLA (2020):
- Name: Dhirendra Pratap Singh (alias Rinku Singh)
- Party: Janata Dal (United) – JD(U)
- Votes Secured: 74,906 (38.32%)
- Runner-up: Rajesh Singh (Indian National Congress)
- Votes: 53,321 (27.28%)
- Winning Margin: 21,585 votes
Dhirendra Pratap Singh first won this seat in the 2015 Bihar Assembly Elections as an Independent candidate, defeating the Congress candidate Irshad Hussain with a huge margin. Later, he joined JD(U) and contested the 2020 elections under their banner, successfully retaining his seat.
🏞️ Significance of the Region
- Strategic Border Area: Located near the India-Nepal border.
- Ecological Importance: Home to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, a prominent wildlife conservation area.
- Tourism & Tribal Population: The constituency includes forest zones and tribal communities, making development and environmental concerns major issues in elections.
- Agriculture: Predominantly agrarian, with concerns related to flood management, irrigation, and land reform often dominating local politics.
