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CHAT

State:	Bihar
Constituency:	Chapra
Total Votes Polled:	715458
Winner: BJP	Rajiv Pratap Rudi	339086
Runner Up: JD	Lal Babu Rai	323590
Margin: 15496 (2.18%)

In 1996 the BJP cornered 47.80 % of the vote and won; the Congress's share of the popular vote was 1.76 %. The BJP's performance was all the more creditable, since in the previous elections it had won just 4.1 % of the vote and came in fifth.