Dissensions brew in both NDA and Grand Alliance

PATNA: With the announcement of candidates for the Lok Sabha election, the signs of dissension to the extent of rebellion have started showing in the NDA of BJP, JD(U) and LJP as well as in the Grand Alliance of RJD, Congress and three other parties in the state.


Putul Kumari, wife of former MP Digvijay Singh, has announced her candidature from Banka as an independent after JD(U) named Giridhari Yadav as its nominee from the constituency.

“I will file nomination papers from Banka tomorrow. I have nurtured the constituency after the death of my husband, who had represented the seat thrice. I have also strengthened the organizational set up of JD(U) and hope the people of the constituency will give me another chance to serve them again,” she told this newspaper over the phone on Sunday. RJD has retained its sitting MP Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav from Banka.

Putul, who won from Banka in 2010 byelection, had met JD(U) president and chief minister Nitish Kumar last week. “Nitish ji offered Putul to field her daughter and shooter Shreyashi Singh as JD(U) candidate from Banka, but she refused because the internationally acclaimed shooting champion doesn’t want to join politics and is busy in preparations for international championships,” a close confidante of Putul said.

Putul is not alone. Arun Kumar, who won the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Jehanabad on RLSP ticket, was hopeful of a nomination from the NDA camp this time. Since JD(U) named Chandreshwar Prasad Chandrawanshi for that seat, Arun has decided to contest on the symbol of Rashtriya Samata Party (Secular). “I have decided to contest from Jehanabad on the request of my supporters,” the two-term MP said. With Arun in the poll fray, the fight will become more interesting as RJD, an ally of the Grand Alliance, is likely to field Surendra Yadav from there.

BJP is also likely to face challenge from its sitting Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha , who is set to be a Congress nominee from the same constituency against the official NDA candidate and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Shatrughan, popularly called ‘Bihari Babu’, has been critical of PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

Like NDA, sources said a rebellion is brewing up in the Grand Alliance as well. “Darbhanga seat has become a bone of contention between Congress and Vikashsheel Insaan Party of Mukesh Sahni. While Congress wants to field rebel BJP MP Kirti Azad, Sahni wants this seat for his candidate,” a BJP functionary said. BJP has given ticket to former Benipur MLA Gopal Jee Thakur.

“We hope more dissident leaders will fight as independents from other seats as well. The final list of the candidates is yet to be declared. The BJP had to drop its five sitting MPs, whose supporters are angry with the party leadership and they may work against the official candidates in the election,” said another BJP leader.

Aurangabad, also known as ‘Chittorgarh of Bihar’, is also set to witness dissension after the denial of ticket to Nikhil Kumar, a former MP and son of former chief minister Satyendra Narayan Singh. Nikhil’s supporters had created a scene at the Congress headquarters in Patna on Saturday in protest against party central leadership’s decision to leave the seat for HAM (secular) led by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi .

“I will not open my mouth till elections are over. I don’t want to weaken the party, which my family has nurtured since pre-independence days,” Nikhil said on Sunday. However, his supporters held a meeting to condemn the decision not to field Nikhil from the Rajput dominated constituency.

“The party will have to pay a heavy price for it in the ensuing general election. This is an insult to the family, whose sacrifice in freedom struggle and post-independence is an open secret,” said a diehard family supporter of Nikhil, who was elected from Aurangabad in 2004.