Sherghati, a subdivision town in Gaya district, is a quiet witness to Bihar's rich history. The archaeological remains scattered across the area speak of its ancient importance. This town gained an unusual place in scientific history when a meteorite from Mars fell here on August 25, 1865. Known worldwide as the Shergotty meteorite (named after Sherghati's British-era spelling), it now rests in a London museum.
The Morhar River flows around Sherghati, which is located at the edge of Jharkhand's Chatra district. The thick forests of Jharkhand stop abruptly at Sherghati's border. Historically, this area was ruled by the Cheros before coming under Rohilla chief Azam Khan around 1700.
The name Sherghati tells its own story. Meaning "Lion Valley" in English, it recalls a time when lions roamed these parts, unlike today when they're found only in Gujarat. The story goes that Farid Khan earned his famous title Sher Shah after hunting a lion here. He would later become Emperor Sher Shah Suri after defeating Humayun. While there is no available record of what this place was called before, it is likely this event gave it the name Sherghati.
The people of Sherghati have always shown the courage of lions. Local history tells how they stopped Aurangzeb's army at the Morhar River, inflicting heavy losses when the Mughals tried to advance after taking Aurangabad. During India’s struggle for independence, Sherghati produced many freedom fighters, though few survive today.
The Sherghati Assembly constituency has seen a rough political journey. Created in 1957, it was scrapped in 1977 and only brought back in 2010. In its first phase, Congress won thrice (1957, 1962, 1972), while Jan Kranti Dal and an Independent won in 1967 and 1969.
When Sherghati regained its status as a separate constituency in 2010 after 33 years, the political dynamics had transformed completely. The JD(U) won the revived seat in 2010 and 2015, while the RJD secured victory in 2020. This RJD win came during unusual circumstances – the LJP had exited the NDA just before the elections and polled 24,107 votes. While it is impossible to say all these votes would have gone to JD(U), the arithmetic suggests the NDA's split likely helped RJD win by its 16,690-vote margin. A united NDA might have produced a different result.
Now with LJP back in NDA, the 2024 Lok Sabha results show a different picture. NDA's Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM) won the Gaya seat comfortably and led by 14,389 votes in the Sherghati segment. If any, this is an indicator that RJD may face tough competition in 2025.
Sherghati remains largely rural, with 90.22 per cent of voters living in villages. Though it is a general seat, Scheduled Castes make up 34.2 per cent of voters, while Muslims account for 14.5 per cent. In 2020, there were 274,401 registered voters with an impressive 63.11 per cent turnout. By 2024, voter numbers had grown to 280,517.
(Ajay Jha)
