High drama unfolded outside RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav’s residence in Patna on Sunday when Madan Prasad Sah, a ticket aspirant, broke down, tore his clothes, and rolled on the road after being denied a party ticket for the upcoming Bihar elections.
Sah, who contested from the Madhuban Assembly constituency in 2020 and lost narrowly to the BJP candidate, alleged that he was promised a ticket if he paid Rs 2.70 crore.
“Lalu Prasad Yadav promised to give me a ticket for the Bihar elections... RJD leader Sanjay Yadav had demanded Rs 2.70 crore, and when I refused to pay, the party ticket was given to someone else,” Sah alleged.
“When I was asked to cough up Rs 2.70 crore, I managed by putting the weddings of my children on hold. Now I am finished. At least, they should return the money,” he added.
Visuals of Sah’s protest outside Lalu Prasad’s residence — showing him tearing his clothes, rolling on the road, and chasing the RJD chief’s car — went viral on social media, as he voiced his anger over being denied a ticket and criticised Tejashwi Yadav.
“I come from a very educated family, which has 10 doctors. I have worked for Lalu Yadav’s party since 1990. We have been treated unfairly. Tejashwi did not give me a ticket. The tickets were sold at Rs 2.70 crore,” he claimed.
He further alleged that the ticket was instead given to Santosh Kushwaha, whom he described as a “BJP agent.”
“They will not form the government; Tejashwi is very arrogant, doesn’t meet people... Sanjay Yadav is doing all this... I have come here to die. Lalu Yadav is my Guru... He had said that he would give me a ticket... They gave a ticket to Santosh Kushwaha, a BJP agent,” Sah told ANI.
The former RJD candidate claimed that Lalu and Tejashwi had called him to Ranchi in 2020 and assured him of a ticket after a survey showed he had strong support from the Teli community in Madhuban.
"In 2020, Lalu ji called me to Ranchi and got a survey done regarding the population of Teli community, and that Madan Shah will defeat Randhir Singh from Madhuban constituency. Tejashwi ji and Lalu ji had called me, they had said that they will give me a ticket. I have been working for the party since the '90s. I am a poor man, I sold my land...," he claimed.
Meanwhile, RJD leaders remained tight-lipped on the allegations of money being demanded in exchange for tickets.
The allegations come as filing of nominations for the Bihar Assembly elections ends on Monday. Polling will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11, and results will be declared on November 14.
