Contrary to the expectations that RJD supremo lalu Prasad would announce the seats and candidates of his party on Thursday, he only asked his partymen and ticket aspirants to leave him and give time to take a final call. He said his party, JD(U) and Congress are not contesting on all the 243 seats so all the parties have their limitations.
lalu hinted that tickets to many sitting or strong contenders could be denied in the larger interest of the alliance. “This is a situation different from the previous polls. We have limited seats but a big goal. My party and Nitish Kumar’s party has top make sacrifices. The party workers should also understand our constraints. Those have made up mind to quit are free to go,” said lalu after the meeting of the central parliamentary board of the party which empowered him to select the candidates.
Dozens of OB vans were parked outside a star hotel where the meeting was held and hundreds of men and women in khadi were seen attempting to enter the venue. A few of them tried to communicate to lalu that time was running out and process for nomination for the first phase had already started. There were also reports that some prominent sitting MlAs have been asked to stay away from the poll arena. Jagdishpur MlA Bhai Birendra has threatened to sit on dharna in the RJD office to protest reports that he might be denied ticket. Another MlA Durga Prasad Singh was also furious.
lalu asked leaders of his party, who were present at the meeting, to send a message to all the workers and followers that their first duty is to stop the BJP. They should sink their differences and forget their personal interest to achieve this goal, he told them and added that by bringing crowd and raising slogans and pleading would not ensure them ticket. He also hit out at a section of media and warned them not to interfere in the internal matters of the parties. “You are nobody to set our agenda,” he said.
lalu warned his partymen that BJP through RSS would try to communalise the situation particularly during Durga Puja. “PM Narendra Modi knows the consequences of this election. BJP will use all weapons at its command to create social tension,” alleged lalu and urged the youth, minorities, Dalits, backwards, poor among upper castes and Yaduvanshis to remain united and frustrate the moves of the BJP. “Our battle will go beyond this election,” he added. He said the unity of two backwards (lalu and Nitish) has caused fear among the rivals.
The RJD supremo also criticised the Election Commission for ordering transfer and positing of officials without consulting the State government and without seeking panel of officials. “This is unprecedented. The question is how it is happening and who is directing the EC to do this,” he asked.
In the JD(U) too, there was resentment over the selection of candidates. Party president Sharad Yadav who was camping here left for Delhi in a huff on Thursday.
He was reportedly unhappy over denial of tickets to some of sitting MlAs who are his loyalists. The JD(U) sources however, denied the reports.