PATNA: Just a fortnight before the first phase of polling in Bihar, partners in the INDIA bloc, which seemed to be in a disarray till Sunday, appeared going into the damage-control mode on Monday with some withdrawing candidates against each other on certain seats.RJD announced its list of 143 candidates, leaving the remaining 100 for its allies. It dropped 31 MLAs and nominated new candidates. Congress has fielded candidates for 61 seats, while the Left comprising the CPI-ML, CPI and CPM announced its list of 30. On the other hand, the VIP led by former minister Mukesh Sahani has come up with its list of 15 candidates, which means the INDIA bloc partners still have some friendly contests on at least six seats.Opposition bloc leaders said they were hoping the clouds of uncertainty would clear by Oct 23, the last date of withdrawal of candidature for the second phase.
Significantly, JMM withdrew from the Bihar contest after a stalemate over their seat-sharing deal with INDIA bloc. “Unfortunately, JMM won’t be part of the Bihar polls despite my intentions and plans. This is only because of RJD’s ‘political’ immaturity. Congress should have mediated to accommodate JMM, but we are sorry to say that it too did nothing,” said senior JMM legislator and state urban development minister Sudivya Kumar.There was consensus in INDIA bloc over the CM face till Monday night. Despite RJD being the largest bloc with 143 seats to its share, Congress has so far refrained from announcing Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face although he is the coordination committee chairman. Also, INDIA bloc members have not come together in a show of unity for a long time and have been speaking through the media only, adding to confusion in the opposition bloc.In seat-sharing, things looked moving in some direction when RJD didn’t announce its candidate from Kutumba seat against Congress candidate and party’s state chief Rajesh Kumar. RJD had earlier announced it would field its candidate from this seat after the conflict intensified between the two partners, in alliance for the past 35 years.
Dissent rules, both in INDIA bloc and NDA
On the other hand, Congress candidate Aditya Kumar withdrew his nomination from Lalganj seat on Monday, in a relief to RJD nominee. RJD had fielded Shivani Shukla, daughter of jailed strongman Munna Shukla, from this seat.In another development, VIP candidate Sakaldeo Bind withdrew his candidature from Tarapur seat in favour of RJD candidate. A visibly annoyed Bind soon resigned from the party and lent his support to BJP candidate and deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, a VIP spokesperson said.“Things are moving in the right direction and the situation will be more clear by Oct 23, the last date for withdrawal of candidature,” Congress legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan said on Monday. However, another bloc partner CPI haven’t withdrawn candidates against Congress in three seats.Initially, JMM announced to go solo after seat talks failed but suddenly on Monday urban development minister Sudivya Kumar said, “JMM won’t be part of the Bihar polls.” Kumar said, “Hemant Sorenji and JMM has always been following coalition dharma. Even when RJD had one MLA in 2019, we gave them seat in cabinet. Again now, we accommodated them. But what we got is deceit,” he said.Purnia MP Pappu Yadav, who earlier merged his party with Congress, asked the latter to break alliance with RJD on Monday, blaming the latter for not following “coalition dharma”.Things don’t look good in the rival NDA as well as former Union minister and BJP leader Raj Kumar Singh launched sharp attacks on his party for giving tickets to persons with criminal antecedents. He appealed to the people not to vote for opposition candidates such as Osama Shahab, son of RJD politician late Mohammad Anant Singh and RJD candidate from Mokama Veena Devi.
