Triangular contest likely on 4 seats in Madhepura

MADHEPURA: The Madhepura district administration and the electoral office are gearing up to ensure free and fair polls in four assembly segments where 12.67 lakh voters are likely to exercise their franchise at 1,869 booths during the third phase of the upcoming polls on November 7. The filing of nomination papers will begin from October 13.
Barring the ruling JD (U), other political parties are yet to make a formal announcement of their candidates for the four assembly segments in the district.The JD (U) has retained its candidates on three seats — Narendra Narayan Yadav from Alamnagar, Niranjan Mehta from Behariganj and Ramesh Rishideo from Singheshwar reserved constituency. The party has fielded Nikhil Mandal, grandson of former chief minister and Mandal Commission chairman B P Mandal, from the high-profile Madhepura assembly seat. Nikhil’s father Manindra Kumar Mandal has been a JD (U) MLA from this seat which, at present, is being represented by Chandra Shekhar of the RJD.
Now, all eyes are on the formal announcement of the RJD candidates for the four assembly seats.
Speculations are also rife that Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav may field his candidates on all the four seats. The candidature of JAP may make the electoral battle triangular in the district.
Meanwhile, officials claimed that paramilitary forces had arrived in the district to maintain law and order during the polls. They also said model 3 electronic voting machines would be used in the election and 7,476 polling personnel deployed.