PATNA: Former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who merged his Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) with the Congress, reiterated his resolve to contest election from Purnia even as the grand alliance in Bihar is set to announce seat-sharing deal for Lok Sabha election on Friday.
“It will be suicidal for me if I contest election from somewhere else,” Yadav told the media in response to a query on RJD fielding turncoat Bima Bharti as its official candidate from the seat, which Pappu wanted to contest.
A consensus on the seat-sharing was reached after two major allies of the alliance - RJD and Congress- held hectic parleys on several seats, which were a bone of contention between them.
RJD sources said that former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and other senior leaders of the grand alliance would declare seat sharing pact at a press conference in the state party headquarters.
Sources claimed that RJD would contest on 26 seats while Congress on nine seats. Seats from which the Congress is likely to contest are Sasaram, Kishanganj, Katihar, Motihari, West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Patna Saheb, Supaul and Bhagalpur seats.
The CPM may contest Karakat, Ara and Nalanda seats while the CPI is likely to field its candidates from Begusarai seat and CPI(M-L) Khagaria seat. In the remaining seats, the RJD will field its candidates.
A clear picture on Purnia and Katihar seats from where Congress wanted to field Pappu Yadav and Tariq Anwar will emerge on Friday. Both Congress and RJD are staking claims to these seats. The sources claimed that RJD agreed to give nine seats to Congress only after the latter conceded to give Chatra and Palamu seats in neighbouring Jharkhand.