PATNA: The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), the opposition coalition in Bihar – including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and Left parties – on Friday announced that the RJD, its largest constituent, will contest 26 out of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections.
The Congress will contest nine seats, followed by CPI(ML) on 3 seats, and CPI and CPI(M) with one seat each.
Former state minister and senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui announced the seat-sharing arrangements among constituents of grand alliance in the presence of RJD state president Jagadanand Singh and other leaders.
The RJD will contest the following seats:
Gaya
Nawada
Jehabanabad
Aurangabad
Buxar
Patliputra
Munger
Jamui
Banka
Valmikinagar
Purvi Champaran
Sheohar
Sitamarhi
Vaishali
Saran
Siwan
Gopalganj
Ujiarpur
Darbhanga
Madhubani
Jhanjharpur
Supaul,Madhepura
Purnea
Araria
Hajipur
The Congress has been allocated Kishanganj, Katihar Bhagalpur Muzaffarpur Samastipur (SC) Paschimi Champaran Patna Sahib Sasaram (SC) Maharajganj
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation will field its candidates from Ara, Karakat, and Nalanda seats.
The CPI and CPI(M) will contest Begusarai and Khagaria seats, respectively.
Friday's announcement has come as a rude shock for former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav who recently joined the Congress by merging merged his party - Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) - with the grand old party.
He had staked his claim on the Purnea seat, which has now been given to the RJD. Bima Bharti, who resigned from JD(U) and joined RJD, has been nominated as the RJD candidate from Purnea.
However Yadav told media he was happy with the decision. "No one can separate me from the Congress' flag. I welcome the decision of Congress leadership to strengthen the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. I will go amidst the people with the resolve of establishing the flag of Congress in Purnea."
