PATNA: Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday expressed concern over delay in the announcement of Rajya Sabha candidates by the NDA.
Talking to media persons, Manjhi said the delay in the announcement of names of the candidates for Rajya Sabha by the NDA partners has raised suspicion. “It's a matter of concern for the NDA allies,” he added.
The election to Rajya Sabha is to be held on June 10. The nomination will start on May 31. Yet the names of probable candidates have not been announced by any of the major political parties. The election will be held in five seats. While two seats each are being held by BJP and RJD, one seat is held by JDU. Bihar chief minister and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar said that the name would be declared at an appropriate time.
“What's the need to announce the name of the candidate so early,” Nitish told reporters while emerging from a meeting with senior leaders of the party at the JDU office on Sunday.
Manjhi, however, said that the ruling NDA in Bihar lacked democracy. “Till date, no mechanism has been developed in the NDA to discuss things by its allies on important issues. They little bother about HAM,” he asserted.
HAM had earlier demanded one Rajya Sabha and one MLC seat in the upcoming elections. He also clarified that despite ideological conflicts, both BJP and JDU would not like to cause any harm to the NDA.
“The people have given a mandate to the NDA till 2025 and Nitish Kumar will remain the CM till then,” he added. Neither BJP nor RJD has announced the names of their candidates for the Rajya Sabha election.
However, re-nomination of Misa Bharti, eldest daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, is almost certain. The term of four Rajya Sabha members—Gopal Narayan Singh and Satish Chandra Dubey from BJP, Misa Bharti of RJD and RCP Singh of JDU will come to an end in July this year.
One seat fell vacant after candidature of veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav was disqualified on recommendation of JDU after he joined RJD.