Satyanand Bhogta (top) and Jai Prakash Singh Bhogta

Chatra Nov. 21: It is another day and another turf, but the same fight — a clash between Chota Bhogta and Bada Bhogta, the two turncoats who swapped their parties this time to settle old scores.

Go anywhere in Chatra Assembly constituency and you will hear people talking about former state agriculture minister Satyanand Bhogta, alias Bada Bhogta, and sitting Simaria MLA Jai Prakash Singh Bhogta, aka Chota Bhogta.

And the idea that is doing the rounds here is “Chota Bhogta Bada Bhogta se aage nikal gaya (Junior Bhogta has surpassed Senior Bhogta in politics)”.

In the 2009 Assembly elections, Satyanand had surprised all by leaving Chatra — the seat that he had won in 2004 and 2000 — to contest from Simaria on a BJP ticket. But Jai Prakash, on his debut on a JVM ticket, sent Satyanand packing back to Chatra.

Cut to the 2014 Assembly elections, Jai Prakash played the same trick and left his Simaria seat to jump in the fray for Chatra, taking everyone by surprise. Also, he left the Babulal Marandi’s camp to join the saffron brigade. As the BJP refused Satyanand ticket, the veteran leader switched to the JVM and filed as nomination from Chatra.

Jai Prakash claimed that joining the BJP was homecoming for him. “My father late Mahendra Singh Bhogta was Chatra MLA twice and a BJP leader. I have joined BJP to fulfil his dreams.”

Satyanand, on the other hand, is trying to win voters by playing sympathy card. “The people of Chatra will take revenge from those who have done injustice to me,” Senior Bhogta said.

Sitting Chatra MLA Janardan Paswan of the RJD hopes to benefit from divisions of votes between the two Bhogtas, despite a strong anti-incumbency factor.

JMM nominee Manorama Devi, the wife of Maoist sub-zonal commander Gautam Paswan, is also likely to split votes though pundits claimed she would not have much impact on the results.

Vehicle torched

One of the campaign vehicles of Satyanand Bhogta was torched in Pratappur police area of Chatra district around 3pm on Friday. The car was being used by JVM party workers. “It is too early to say which group is involved in the incident. There was neither slogan shouting, nor any poster or pamphlet was left behind. The men put the vehicle on fire after asking the occupants to alight,” said Chatra SP S.K. Jha.

Chatra votes on November 25