NEW DELHI: On the day the Election Commission issued notification for the second phase of polling for the Bihar elections, two NDA allies RLSP and LJP announced names of their 17 and nine candidates respectively, but not without some drama.
An aspirant, who was denied ticket by the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), created a ruckus during the press conference held by party chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha. The ticket aspirant identified as Ashok Gupta shouted slogans and even lay on the ground in front of the dais where Khuswaha was addressing the press conference. He had to be physically removed from the venue by party men. The drama unfolded in front of cameras.
Gupta alleged that he had even paid money to the party, and was yet denied a ticket. He, however, later clarified the money he claimed to have paid to the party was at the time it was formed. Khushwaha denied any favouritism in distribution of tickets. He also protested against the BJP for keeping him in the “dark” about putting up its candidate from a seat it had considered allotting to an RLSP candidate. He said he would take up the matter with its chief Amit Shah.
The LJP also announced candidates for nine seats, fielding former MP and strongman Kaali Prasad Pandey from Kuchaykot. In another instance, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s son-in-law Anil Kumar Sadhu was seen sobbing and wiping tears last night on TV over denial of ticket to him. He had even threatened to field Dalit Sena candidates against LJP nominees.