Sharad Yadav to contest as RJD candidate from Madhepura, former speaker Meira Kumar from her traditional seat Sasaram

PATNA: Opposition’s Grand Alliance (GA) in Bihar on Friday announced formal allocation of rest 31 of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats among its partners-RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM (S) and VIP. Election on these 31 seats will be held in the last five phases –from phase three to seven between April 23 to May 19.
Allocation of nine seats, which go to the polling in first and second phases on April 11 and 18, respectively, were announced earlier.
Addressing a joint press conference of GA partners- which began one hour and 20 minutes behind its schedule apparently due to problem on a few seats- at a local hotel, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav also announced the names of candidates for 32, out of total 40 seats to be contested by different partners of the GA in all seven phases.
The eight seats for which candidates could not be announced are Paschimi Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Ujiyarpur, Karakat (all allocated to the RLSP), Valmikinagar, Patna Sahib (Congress) Madhubani (VIP) and Sheohar (allotted to the RJD).
Flanked by HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, VIP president Mukesh Sahni, Congress leader Narendra Kumar and RLSP’s Satyanand Prasad Dangi, Tejashwi read out the names of 18, out of total 19 candidates of the RJD, seven candidates of Congress, three of the HAM(S) and two each of the RLSP and the VIP.
Tejashwi also announced that the RJD has left Ara Lok Sabha seat from its quota for the CPI-ML as a “gesture of goodwill” because the party (CPI-ML) always “fights for the cause of poor.” He said the candidates for four, out of total five seats, of the RLSP would be later announced by its national president Upendra Kushwaha who could not join the joint conference due to his pre-occupied programme at a district court. The RLSP has already announced the name of Bhudev Chaudhary as its candidate from Jamui (SC) seat.
As per the list of GA candidates released by Tejashwi, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar (Congress) will contest from Sasaram (SC) seat while RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti from Pataliputra.
The GA allocated Patna Sahib seat to Congress from where film actor-turned- politician Shatrughan Sinha is likely to contest against union minister and BJP’s candidate Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Former union minister Sharad Yadav would contest as RJD candidate from his traditional seat Madhepura, while Tariq Anwar who a few months back left the NCP and joined Congress would contest from his traditional seat Katihar. Besides Sharad, another active leader of his Loktantrik Janta Dal (LJD) Arjun Rai has been fielded from Sitamarhi seat won by RLSP’s Ram Kumar Sharma in 2014 election. It is not clear whether the RLSP will shift Sharma to other constituency or deny ticket to this election.
Lalu’s Samadhi and Tej Pratap’s father-in-law Chandrika Rai has been made the RJD’s candidate from Lalu’s traditional seat Saran against the wishes of Tej Pratap who has filed a petition to seek divorce from his wife Aishwarya Rai.
Other prominent RJD leaders who have been made the party candidates are former union ministers Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (Vaishali) and JaI Prakash Narayan Yadav (Banka), jailed don Shahubuddin’s wife Hina Shahab from their traditional seat Siwan, former state minister Jagdanand Singh (Buxar) and former Bihar minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui from Darbhanga seat.
Darbhanga’s sitting MP Kirti Azad who recently joined Congress after deserting the BJP, wanted to contest from Darbhanga, but the seat was allotted to the RJD. Kirti is now likely to be shifted to Valmikinagar seat which has gone in the kitty of Congress.