Amid the word spreading fast in the political corridors of the ruling JD(U) that some senior party leaders, including party president Sharad Yadav, were irked over the distribution of tickets to candidates coming from other parties, the JD(U) chief on Friday declared that there were no differences with Nitish Kumar on the issue.
The JD(U) is ready with the list of candidates which will be released on Saturday in Delhi. “It’s not true…there is no dispute within the party over selection of candidates …but one thing is certain that the party will give a few tickets to new entrants,” said Yadav. To finalise the name of candidates, the party chief had a meeting with Kumar at his residence on Friday.
“I’m neither unhappy nor angry with Nitish Kumar over ticket distribution,” asserted Yadav who had declared to contest the poll from Madhepura constituency. The RJD has fielded heavyweight Pappu Yadav from Madhepura which is pitched to witness contest of Yadav titans again. Earlier this month, Kumar had announced the names like film-maker Prakash Jha for Bettiah seat and Avanish Singh who quit the BJP and joined the JD(U) from Motihari. The JD(U) will contest 38 of the 40 lok Sabha seats from Bihar as it has given two seats to the CPI under alliance.
Interestingly, two BJP MlCs Manoj Singh and Santosh Kushwaha were seen entering into Kumar’s official residence 1, Anne Marg on Friday morning. Both joined the JD(U) and were handed over the party ticket from Siwan and Purnea. “The BJP today has become party of three-four leaders who are in fact ruling the party in the State. The BJP has completely ignored my caste for long,” alleged Santosh Kushwaha after coming out with JD(U) ticket in hand.
Manoj Singh too charged that the BJP has all along ignored him and has given ticket to a leader who had worked against the party. Manoj Singh claimed he would come out winning the Siwan seat. BJP sources told The Pioneer that party has given ticket this time to altogether nine outsiders out of 25 candidates in the first list. After alliance with the lJP and RlSP, the BJP would be contesting on 30 seats.
“Even on the remaining five seats, most of them would be the Siberian birds,” said a disgruntled State BJP leader. Senior State BJP leader Giriraj Singh, who was earlier among the front-rankers to support Narendra Modi while attacking the Nitish Government, too has expressed his displeasure over being denied his choice seat Begusarai. He has told mediapersons that he would prefer to do another “sacrifice” for Modi and reveal his next strategy after reaching Patna.
Meanwhile, some of the party supporters of BJP MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha too have expressed displeasure over tickets given to turncoats. Former legislator from Bakhtiyarpur Binod Yadav and general secretary of State BJP Scheduled Caste cell Sanjay Ram has said a large number of people were questioning them about the absence of Sinha’s name among the 25 candidates announced on Thursday.
“The party would suffer if the actor-turned politician was not re-nominated from Patna Saheb seat,” he said. The BJP is yet to announce names for five seats, including Patna Saheb. Similarly, BJP MlA from Aurangabad Ramadhar Singh too has expressed annoyance over party ticket given to a turncoat Sushil Singh from Aurangabad constituency.
“I’ll prefer to die than to seek vote for Shushil Singh,” said Ramadhar Singh who was also a Minister in the Nitish Government. BJP MlA from Mahnar Achutanand Singh too has turned rebel as lJP candidate and strongman Rama Singh under alliance has been made the candidate from Vaishali.