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VAISHALI
At just 29, Shivani Shukla, the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) candidate from Lalganj, stands out in Bihar’s gritty political battlefield — not just for her youth and simplicity but for the sheer suddenness of her entry into politics.
The daughter of incarcerated don-turned-politician Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla, a three-time former MLA, Shivani is among the youngest contenders in the two-phase Bihar assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and 11.
Educated in law from Alliance University, Bengaluru, and armed with a master’s degree from Leeds University, UK, Shivani represents a rare blend of legal acumen and local rootedness in a state where political inheritance often trumps merit.
“I was working at Trilegal, one of Delhi’s top law firms, when I quit to help my mother during elections. I didn’t even know I’d be contesting until the morning of October 17 – the last day of filing nomination papers for the first phase polls,” she recalls with a laugh amid the dust and din of her campaign.
She narrates how, while visiting her in-laws in Muzaffarpur, a call from Patna changed everything. “I was told to rush to Patna and meet the party leader. Within hours, I was filing nomination papers, just minutes before the 3pm deadline,” she says.
CHANCE CANDIDATE
Shivani describes herself as an “accidental politician.”
Her father, serving a sentence after being convicted by the Supreme Court in 2024 in the Bihar minister Brij Bihari Prasad murder case, remains a powerful figure in Lalganj. Her mother, Annu Shukla — also a former MLA — initially shouldered the family’s political responsibilities, while her elder sister, Shruti, took care of the family’s petrol pump and transport business.
“Papa is innocent. He has been framed because of political pressure,” she asserts, her tone firm but measured.
Shivani’s entry into politics was sudden and not without behind-the-scenes manoeuvering though she says her candidature came as much a surprise to her as to others. Congress’s Aditya Kumar, who had filed nomination from Lalganj, withdrew after the RJD fielded Shivani as the Mahagathbandhan’s candidate. “I only read in newspapers that my name was being considered. Beyond that, I don’t know anything,” she says candidly.
Through Lalganj’s dusty lanes and cane fields, Shivani’s composure and easy rapport with people stand out. “Beti ke jeetawe ke hai, 2 number mai dhyaan debai, 2 number hai lantern chaap, aashirwaad debai (Bless your daughter and press the button against the lantern [RJD] symbol, second from top on the EVM),” she tells villagers in Vajrika, the local dialect she speaks fluently.
Her local roots run deep — early schooling at Prabhat Tara in Muzaffarpur, then DPS RK Puram in Delhi — and she uses that mix of confidence and cultural ease to charm crowds.
“I am proud of my father. Mai har janam mai papa ki beti banna chahungi (I’d like to be my father’s daughter in every birth),” she says, unfazed by the “bahubali (strongman)’s daughter” tag.
“People love him. He helped poor families — funding education, arranging marriages, even gifting bikes to grooms. If people didn’t like him, my parents would not have won four assembly elections between them.”
Her father’s influence looms large, but Shivani’s own presence is commanding. In Sahni Tola of Basanta Jehanabad panchayat, she rides pillion on a motorbike, waving to villagers and promising better roads. “Kaam karawe ke hai na, beti ke aashirwaad debai (Bless your daughter so she can deliver development),” she calls out to cheering crowds who greet her with applause and chants of Shivani zindabaad.
‘NETA WITH A DIFFERENCE’
Shivani’s campaign style is refreshingly different from Bihar’s traditional political theatrics. Clad in a simple, pink printed kurta-pants and white shawl, sporting a pair of comfy Mochi sandals, she waves to villagers, her diamond ring in left hand glinting in the sun even as she battles a 102°F fever — just days before her 29th birthday on November 1.
Her interactions brim with spontaneity — she hands out pens to schoolchildren, chides a few leaning dangerously over a well, and poses for selfies with young supporters. “My videos of Shivani didi’s campaign have gone viral — I’ve even earned ₹4,700 from YouTube,” laughs Shivam Kumar, 22, an RJD supporter.
Despite her elite education and cosmopolitan background, Shivani, who drives two-wheelers and four-wheelers with consummate ease, remains grounded and understated, as she bows to touch the feet of village elders and seek their blessings. “I don’t mind if boys take pictures. But I’m not a celebrity,” she smiles.
She talks about the RJD’s shift from the days of “lathi uthawan-tel pilawan maharally” and “charwaha vidyalayas” (schools for shepherds) to digital learning. “Our leader now talks about smart classes, laptops, and handing out pens to children. We have to bring change — good things are coming. Give us opportunity and time; we will perform and change public perception,” she says.
LEGACY SEAT
Lalganj, comprising the Lalganj and Bhagwanpur blocks with 42 panchayats, has a history intertwined with the Shukla family. Shivan’s father, Munna Shukla, won it thrice between 2000 and 2005 — first as an Independent, then on LJP and JD(U) tickets. Her mother Annu Shukla won in 2010 on a JD(U) ticket. The LJP’s Raj Kumar Sah claimed the seat in 2015, followed by the BJP’s Sanjay Kumar Singh in 2020 — now seeking re-election.
Though 10 candidates are in the fray from Lalganj this time, the real battle is between RJD’s 29-year-old debutant Shivani Shukla and BJP’s sitting MLA Sanjay Singh, 56. The Jan Suraaj Party has fielded Amar Kumar Singh, 49, a private tutor-cum-farmer, while Dhirendra Kumar Mahto, 38, an ex-Armyman, has also thrown his hat in the political ring as an Independent candidate.
Locals predict a close RJD–BJP contest, citing contrasting narratives — Shivani’s clean image and strong education versus Singh’s incumbency baggage and multiple criminal cases, including rioting, extortion, criminal intimidation and sexual offence, pending against him.
“Shivani is young, fearless, and guided by her parents’ experience. Singh, with one term behind him, will try to make up for past lapses,” says Gopi Raman Dubey, a retired banker.
While some voters, like Bhola Singh of Bhagwanpur Pakri, express a desire for “an NDA government but a change of guard in the constituency,” others, like Dinesh Mahto, a mukhiya, believe Singh’s work has been satisfactory despite unmet expectations.
Prakash Kumar Pandey, a local priest, sees Shivani as a “viable option in Bihar’s murky political slugfest.”
The contest, however, is largely caste-polarized — both leading candidates hail from upper castes, with Bhumihars likely to back Shivani and Rajputs expected to rally behind Singh.
Among the backward communities, Yadavs remain the RJD’s loyal base, while Kushwahas and Dalits are seen as the NDA’s core support, setting the stage for a tight, multi-layered electoral battle in Lalganj.
BEYOND THE BALLOT
Shivani insists her commitment goes beyond electoral victory. “If I don’t win, I’ll return to Delhi and practice in the Supreme Court. But I won’t leave my people unattended. I’ll open an NGO here so they can reach me with their problems,” she says.
As the sun dips over Lalganj’s sugarcane fields, Shivani’s convoy halts briefly. She waves at villagers crowding the roadside and calls out, “Hamni lautbai (I’ll return).”
It’s more than a farewell — it’s a promise, not just of presence, but persistence.
Whether Shivani’s political debut translates into victory remains to be seen. But in Bihar’s rugged political landscape, Shivani Shukla’s journey — from law books in London to the meandering mud roads and door-to-door campaigning in Vaishali’s Lalganj — is already scripting a rare story: one of chance, courage, and conviction.
