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ISSUES '98
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CHAT

State:	Bihar
Constituency:	Katihar
Total Votes Polled:	646733
Winner: INC	Tariq Anwar	267927
Runner Up: BJP	Nikhil Kumar Choudhary	179641
Margin: 88286 (13.88%)

In 1967, the Congress winner was a certain Sitaram Kesri, who was promptly defeated in the next election, probably his last tilt at electoral politics. Since 1977 the Congress's articulate face represented by Tariq Anwar has been a candidate here, losing on his maiden attempt and winning the next two. In 1989 and 1991 he was defeated by the Janata Dal, but he got his back on it by trouncing his opponents in 1996. His nearest rival was the BJP; in the third place was a certain Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of the Janata Dal.