The opposition Congress and ally RJD were locked in a tug of war on Sunday over the Bhabua Assembly seat for the next month’s bypolls in Bihar, while a similar tussle unfolded between two smaller parties in the ruling NDA for Jehanabad seat.
RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav said his party would field candidates for all the three bypolls in the state. “Our party will have candidates for Araria Lok Sabha seat and also for the Assembly seats of Jehanabad and Bhabua,” said Tejaswi, the younger son of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in Purnea.
But Congress state president Kaukab Quadri said a consensus candidate would be fielded for the Bhabua seat. “No claim has been made by anyone on that seat so far.”
In the NDA camp, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi insisted that his party, Hindustan Awam Morcha, be allowed to field its candidate in Jehanabad. The BJP, which is keen on retaining Jehanabad with itself, found the tussle harder when the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party staked claim.
RLSP chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha reportedly told the BJP leadership that he wants his party leader be the NDA candidate.