INDIA Bloc Faces 'Turmoil' Within, Allies To Contest Against Each Other On Several Seats
Patna: Before Bihar goes to high-stakes polls, the opposition INDIA bloc, is apparently in disarray as the alliance failed to reach a compromise on seat-sharing even as the last date for withdrawal of nominations ended on Monday.
INDIA bloc`s main player in Bihar, RJD, also released the list of 143 candidates hours before the filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase was to be over. RJD had contested 144 seats in the last assembly election.
On the other hand, Congress has announced names of its 61 seats in five separate lists separately. In the last assembly election, it contested 70 seats but could win only 19 seats.
The saving grace for the opposition alliance was that RJD did not field its candidates from Kutumba seat as earlier anticipated. From Kutumba seat, state Congress president Rajesh Kumar Ram has filed his nomination. INDIA bloc is already under NDA`s blistering attack after the former failed to hammer out a seat sharing deal, as the opposition alliance even could not hold the joint press conference for making the announcement about it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstaring his poll campaign from October 24 is expected to give more teeth to the attack on INDIA opposition for their failure to reach a consensus on seat-sharing.
The INDIA bloc comprises RJD, Congress, CPI (ML), CPI, CPI (M) and Mukesh Sahani-led VIP. RJD and the Congress are likely to be having “friendly fights” in six seats where both partners have fielded their respective candidates. These seats include Narkatiganj, Lalganj, Vaishali, Sultanganj, Kahalgaon, and Sikandra. RJD has also fielded its nominees in some constituencies where the Congress contested in 2020, including the Bihariganj and Warisaliganj seats. In Bachwara, Congress nominee will be up against a CPI candidate. While the last date for nomination withdrawal for the first phase ended Monday, it is slated for Thursday for the second phase.
Meanwhile, INDIA bloc has suffered a major setback in the Tarapur Assembly constituency as VIP candidate, Sakaldev Bind, has left the party and joined BJP. He has announced his withdrawal from the nomination process and, along with his supporters, has pledged support to deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary, who is contesting election from Tarapur seat. RJD has also fielded its candidate from Tarapur, where Arun Shah is contesting on the RJD symbol.
In the RJD list, party leader Tejashwi Yadav will again contest from his stronghold Raghopur. A total of 41 sitting MLAs have been renominated, including prominent leaders like Alok Mehta, ex-minister Chandra Shekhar, Yusuf Salahuddin, and Chandrahas Choupal. RJD has dropped 36 sitting MLAs as the party has fielded several young leaders including its youth wing president Rajesh Yadav, who will now replace the party’s sitting MLA in Dinara.
Among the RJD’s candidates, more than 35 belong to the Yadav (OBC) group while 18 are from the Muslim community. The party has fielded 20 candidates from the Scheduled Caste (SC) communities and one from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) group. It has also nominated 24 women candidates
The RJD has given a ticket to Shahnawaz Alam, son of late party leader Taslimuddin, from Jokihat, a seat previously held by the AIMIM. The party has also nominated Osama Shahab, the son of former RJD strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin, in Raghunathpur, replacing the sitting legislator Harishankar Yadav.
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