PATNA : In the emerging battle between the opposition Grand Alliance and the ruling NDA, a threat common to both sides is looming: rebels. From the RJD-led front, which is yet to announce its full list of candidates, two dissidents have already gone their ways. First is MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, and second Rajballabh Yadav.
In the NDA camp, BJP MP from Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad has resigned from the party and joined Congress. The buzz is that Congress may field him from Muzaffarpur. Another party MP from Buxar and Union minister Ashwini Choubey is questioning the leadership why he is replaced. “I want to know the offence that I have committed for which I have not been given the ticket from Buxar,” he said on Monday.
Bihar will have seven-phase polls. Jamui, Nawada, Gaya and Aurangabad are going to the polls in the first phase.
While Pappu is a serious threat to the GA’s official candidate Bima Bharti in Purnea, RJD rebel Vinod Yadav is also adding to the headache of the RJD’s official candidate Shravan Kumar in Nawada.
Pappu is likely to cut into not only the Yadav and other castes’ votes but also a substantial number of Muslim votes in Purnea. Pappu has not withdrawn despite warnings by the Congress leadership. So, RJD candidate Bharti faces a tough battle. JD(U) candidate and MP Santosh Kushwaha appears to have an edge in the given situation. Purnea goes to the polls in the second phase on April 26.
Similarly, RJD official candidate Shravan Kushwaha is grappling with the challenge from rebel candidate Vinod Yadav, brother of rape convict and muscleman Rajballabh Prasad alias Rajballabh Yadav.
In 2019, Rajballabh’s wife Vibha Devi contested as an RJD candidate. She was pitted against Lok Janshakti Party’s Chandan Singh who was elected.
Similarly, former RJD MP and muscleman late Mohammad Shahabuddin’s wife Hena Shahab is contesting from Siwan as an Independent. Although she never demanded the RJD ticket, she is likely to eat into Muslim votes and would mar the prospects of RJD nominee Awadh Bihari Choudhary.
The NDA, too, is beset with the rebel threat. BJP MP from Muzaffarpur Ajay Nishad has quit the party and joined Congress. He hopes Congress would field him from Muzaffarpur.
Another BJP MP from Sasaram Chedi Paswan is not happy with the party leadership after being denied the ticket from the seat. He was the winner against Congress’ Meira Kumar in 2019.
Chedi is replaced by former MLA Shivesh Ram. The saffron rebel is learnt to have sought an appointment with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. There is a buzz that he may join Congress and fight against Shivesh Ram. The Congress is yet to take a decision.
In Buxar, Mithilesh Tiwary, a former MLA from Baikunthpur (in Buxar district) is a BJP candidate from where Ashwini Kumar Choubey won twice. Tiwary is BJP’s state general secretary. He won the state polls from Baikunthpur in 2015 but lost in the 2020 assembly polls.
