JD(U)’s Lallan files papers for Munger parliamentary seat

PATNA: Senior JD(U) functionary and state water resources minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, who is considered close to CM Nitish Kumar, filed his nomination papers for Munger parliamentary constituency on Monday.
Sitting in an open SUV, Lallan, who was accompanied by a large number of motorcycle-borne supporters, reached the collectorate to file his papers.JD (U) Rajya Sabha MP R C P Singh, state rural works department minister and Jamalpur MLA Shailesh Kumar, MLC Neeraj Kumar and BJP’s Barh MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu also accompanied Lallan. Both Jamalpur and Barh assembly segments come under Munger Lok Sabha constituency.
Lallan told reporters after filing his papers that he worked for development of Munger while he was an MP from 2009 to 2014 and also as a state minister afterwards.
“People have already made up their mind to vote for NDA. CM Nitish Kumar has served the state for more than 13 years and helped it clock 11.3% GDP growth in 2017-18, the highest in the country. PM Modi, on the other hand, has focused on safety and security of the country and elimination of corruption. People will keep these things in mind while exercising their franchise,” Lallan added.
Munger is set to witness a high-profile poll battle this time with Lallan taking on Congress’s Neelam Devi, wife of don-turned-politician Anant Singh. Both Neelam and Lallan belong to Bhumihar caste. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Lallan had lost to LJP’s Veena Devi, wife of muscleman Surajbhan Singh, by a margin of around one lakh votes.
Sources said after returning to the NDA fold in July 2017, Nitish was hell-bent on getting the Munger Lok Sabha seat for JD(U) as he wanted Lallan to contest from there. In 2009, Lallan had won the seat by defeating RJD’s Ram Badan Roy. In a bid to accommodate Lallan, the NDA allotted Nawada constituency to LJP. As a result, BJP had to shift its sitting Nawada MP Giriraj Singh to Begusarai.
Addressing a gathering at Munger in support of Lallan, JD(U) MLC Neeraj hit out at Grand Alliance for giving tickets to tainted candidates. “GA has given tickets to family members of dons and corrupt people like Shahabuddin, Rajballabh Yadav and Anant Singh. People will, therefore, vote for NDA candidates in the state,” he said.
Though it’s a debut election for Neelam, she had managed election related work for her husband in 2015 assembly polls.
Neelam, who had filed her nomination papers on Friday, describes herself as ‘Munger ki bahu’ while seeking votes from people in the constituency.