PATNA: In a late evening development, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) released a list of its 22 candidates, including party president Lalu Prasad’s two daughters, for the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.
The elections are to be held in seven phases in the state and the first phase of voting will take place on April 19.
Lalu’s daughters Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya have been fielded from Patliputra and Saran Lok Sabha seats. Rohini, who remains active on social media platforms, came into limelight after she donated one of her kidneys to his ailing father. She is making debut in electoral politics from Saran from where Lalu had earlier been elected to Lok Sabha.
Misa, a Rajya Sabha member, has unsuccessfully contested parliamentary elections from Patliputra twice. She was defeated by former union minister Ram Kripal Yadav. While Misa is pitted against Ram Kripal once again from Patliputra, Rohini is fighting against former union minister and BJP sitting MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Saran.
The party has given tickets to a turncoat Bima Bharti from Purnea. A don-turned politician Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla, whose name had figured in the killing of former state minister Brij Bihari Prasad, has been fielded from Vaishali. He is pitted against LJP (Ram Vilas) nominee Veena Devi.
Shahnawaz Alam has been fielded from Araria while Ritu Jaiswal will contest from Sheohar. Kumar Sarvajeet has been fielded from Gaya, Shravan Kushwaha from Nawada, Archana Ravidas from Jamui and Abhay Kumar Kushwaha from Aurangabad, respectively.
All the four constituencies—Jamui, Nawada, Aurangabad and Gaya—will go to polls in the first phase on April 19.
Jai Prakash Yadav will be party nominee from Banka , Lalit Yadav from Darbhanga, Sudhakar Singh from Buxar, Chandrahas Chaupal from Supaul, Shivchandra Ram from Hajipur, Surendra Prasad from Jehanabad, Anita Devi Mahto from Munger and Alok Kumar Mehta from Ujiarpur seats.
Similarly, Arun Rai has been nominated from Sitamarhi, Md. AA Fatmi from Madhubani, Dipak Yadav from Valmikinagar and prof. Kumar Chandradip from Madhepura seats.
Notably, RJD is contesting 23 seats. Grand alliance in Bihar, which is part of opposition ‘INDIA’ bloc, comprises RJD, Congress, VIP, CPI-ML, CPI and CPI(M). Congress has been given nine seats under seat-sharing arrangements among constituents of grand alliance.