Darbhanga: Three ‘sulking’ netas may play spoilsport

DARBHANGA: Three netas – Congress’s Kirti Azad, RJD’s Mohd Ali Ashraf Fatmi and JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha – who failed to contest from Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat for different reasons this time, may play spoilsport as far as victory of Grand Alliance (GA) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates is concerned.
The three, who have their strong support base in the constituency, have given BJP candidate Gopaljee Thakur and RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui reasons to worry about.While Kirti’s attempts to contest from Darbhanga failed after the seat went to RJD as part of seat-sharing arrangement of GA, the ambition of JD(U)’s Jha to represent the constituency in Lok Sabha too remained unfulfilled as the seat went to the kitty of BJP under the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement.
Jha had unsuccessfully fought Lok Sabha election from Darbhanga in 2014 on a JD(U) ticket. Fatmi, on the other hand, had finished runner-up in the constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, losing to BJP’s Kirti, who is now with Congress.
After denial of ticket, Fatmi called a press conference on Friday and vented ire on the party leadership for offering the seat to another candidate. “My nomination papers for both Darbhanga and Madhubani seats are ready. I am consulting my well-wishers and take a final call on April 3,” Fatmi had said. On Sunday too, Fatmi reiterated his stand.
JD(U)’s Jha, on the other hand, was nurturing this constituency for the last three-and-a-half years. He ensured construction of several roads and bridges in remote areas of the district. Kirti would often accuse Jha of inaugurating the schemes he had completed from his MPLAD funds. Jha became so popular with youths of the region that a ‘Sanjay Jha Fan Club’ was created here.
After the BJP announced Gopaljee Thakur as its Darbhanga candidate, Jha has not visited Darbhanga even once.
Kirti, who remained suspended in the BJP for years, joined the Congress recently hoping that the GA will give the seat to the Grand Old Party. However, the RJD’s “strong-arm tactic” kept the Congress out of the seat, thereby dashing hopes of Kirti. What the Congress has planned for this former cricketer is still not clear.
Meanwhile BJP’s Gopaljee Thakur, an MA in sociology, who is presently state vice-president of BJP, has started campaigning in the constituency. He is expected to file his nomination papers on April 5 in presence of large number of his supporters.