Abdul Bari Siddiqui set to contest Darbhanga seat: RJD

PATNA: Keeping aside all speculations, RJD MLA Bhai Virendra on Tuesday said senior party functionary Abdul Bari Siddiqui will be contesting from Darbhanga parliamentary constituency.
He said senior functionaries of Mahagathbandhan have already sorted out the issue. “The seat has been given to us and we will soon make a formal announcement. Darbhanga is our traditional seat and there was no scope of any compromise.It is confirmed that Abdul Bari Siddiqui will be contesting from there,” the Maner MLA told TOI on Tuesday.
He added: “In fact, RJD had lost the previous Lok Sabha election by a very thin margin. We have won that seat several times in the past. It is for the Congress to decide where they will adjust Kirti Jha Azad.”
Kirti, who had won the 2014 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket, has recently joined Congress.
In spite of RJD’s assertion, Congress still claims Darbhanga seat for Kirti. Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha said his party has staked its claim as Kirti is with them. When asked about RJD’s claim, Jha replied, “I do not want to get into that debate. Everyone has the right and we too have staked our claim. We will sit together and sort out the issue.”
Though Congress seemed to be soft over Darbhanga, RJD did not seem to be ready for any adjustment. RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s close aide and party’s MLA Bhola Yadav also said, “Kirti had won Darbhanga seat on a BJP ticket. Now he has left BJP and it is BJP’s seat.”
Sources further said since Darbhanga has almost slipped out of Congress’s hand, Kirti will either contest from Valmikinagar or Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.