With the declaration of bypolls to one lok Sabha and two Assembly seats in Bihar, political activities have not only suddenly increased but reports of chasm in the two rival alliances have also started coming out. In both the ruling NDA and Opposition Mahagathbandhan skirmishes are going on with parties staking claim on seats.
Only the JD(U) is keeping distance from the bypolls as the party has declared its decision not to contest any seat. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also the national president of JD(U), announced that the Bihar unit of the party has taken a decision not to fight bypolls as a matter of policy. “We have a policy not to contest any seat caused by death,” he said on Monday. Earlier Bihar JD(U) chief Bashistha Narayan Singh said that none of the three seats belonged to his party. It is believed that all the three seats would be contested by the BJP.
The seats going to bypoll are Araria lok Sabha which fell vacant due to demise of RJD strongman Mohammad Taslimuddin and two Assembly seats to which by-election was needed to death of sitting members Mundrika Singh Yadav of RJD (Jehanabad) and Bhushan Pandey of BJP (Bhabua). The bypolls would be held on March 11.
The skirmishes in the NDA came to fore when two of its constituents RlSP and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM) staked claim on Jehanabad Assembly seat. Their leaders Upendra Kushwaha, a Union MoS, and Jitan Ram Manjhi, ex CM, have adopted a stubborn attitude and waned that the BJP should back out from its claim. RJD had defeated RlSP on this seat in 2015 polls so Kushwaha wanted this seat but Manjhi claimed that his party has stronghold in Jehanabad. One more development took place on Saturday in the backdrop of the bypoll when JD(U) MlA Sarfaraz Ahmad resigned from the party and the Assembly and joined RJD. Ahmad, son of late Taslimuddin, is believed to be fielded by the RJD from Araria lok Sabha seat. An elated RJD claimed that more JD(U) legislators were likely to quit party. Its MlA Bhai Birendra claimed, “Over 22 JD(U MlAs may join us and they are in touch with Tejashwi Yadav.” JD(U) sources said Ahmad was an exception because he wanted to contest the seat won several times by his late father and JD(U) had declared it would keep away from by-polls.Making fun of JD(U)’s decision, former deputy CM Tejashwi said Nitish has fully surrendered before the BJP and soon he would announce to merge his JD(U) in the saffron party. But all is also not well in the Mahagathbandhan as Congress is unhappy over the reports that RJD was going to contest all the three seats.
The Congress has staked claim on Bhabaua seat and demanded that RJD should sit with Congress and discuss the by-poll strategy.