At a time when ruling Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were gearing up to shortlist names of party candidates for the upcoming lok Sabha polls, some senior party leaders met the party president on Thursday and expressed their reservation on the way some new entrants were getting tickets while the veterans are being ignored. Recently, some new comers have been declared as party candidates from certain constituencies.
Sources in the JD(U) told The Pioneer that senior JD(U) leaders — Narendra Singh and Brishan Patel along with party MP Vishwa Mohan Kumar — met party president Sharad Yadav to express their displeasure over the way the party has been distributing tickets to outsiders. Party MlA Neeraj Kumar ‘Babloo’ and Ashwamedha Devi too have expressed their annoyance over functioning of the party.
Earlier, during his Sankalp Yatra to Bagaha, Bettiah and Motihari, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced names of Baidyanath Mahto, Prakash Jha and Avanish Kumar Singh as party candidates from the constituencies. Prakash Jha and Avanish Kumar Singh have switched to the JD(U) recently.
Senior party leader Narendra Singh expressed his displeasure when names of these party hoppers were declared by Nitish Kumar as party candidates. “The way the old and loyal party leaders are being ignored at the cost of new entrants for the party tickets is not good for the party,” Narendra Singh had said.
Of late, a number of leaders have been switching sides from one flock to another after being promised to get party tickets in the upcoming parliamentary polls. “Today it seems that there is no dearth of parties but the leaders to contest the lok Sabha polls are definitely being chosen in a hurry,” said a poll observer.
While coming out from his meeting with the party president, Narendra Singh told mediapersons that there should be a committee for deciding the names of candidates after consultation with party leaders, office-bearers and workers. “Without consulting old party loyalists and leaders names of party candidates should not be decided”, said Narendra Singh.
“Though the new entrants are welcome in the JD(U) but rewarding them instantly with lok Sabha tickets is not a good trend,” added Narendra Singh.
“The leaders who have been expressing their views openly in the media are being warned for this kind of defiance as the party will not hesitate to take a stern action against them,” said Basistha Narayan Singh.
Meanwhile, party president Sharad Yadav has iterated that he would contest the poll only from Madhepura and nowhere else.