86 candidates file nomination for second phase polls PAPPU YADAV TO FIGHT FROM PURNEA SEAT AS INDEPENDENT
PATNA: Ajit Sharma of the Congress and Dulalchand Goswami from the Janata Dal (United) were among those who filed their nominations on the last day from Bhagalpur and Katihar, respectively, for the second phase polling
In the first signs of dissent within the opposition Mahagathbandhan or the Grand Alliance since the seat-sharing announcement for the Lok Sabha elections, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, a five time MP, also filed his nomination as an independent from Purnia on Thursday, as nominations for five seats of Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Banka in the state came to an end.
A total 86 candidates have filed their nominations in the second phase, with 15 in Kishanganj, 11 in Purnia, 20 in Katihar, 21 in Bhagalpur and 19 in Banka, according to a communique from the office of the Bihar chief electoral officer on Thursday.
Scrutiny of papers will take place on Friday. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 8, and poll is scheduled on April 26.
Purnia becomes the cynosure of all eyes in the second phase, with Pappu Yadav setting up a triangular contest, after throwing his hat in the political ring on the last day. Yadav had on March 20 merged his Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) with the Congress in anticipation of getting a Congress ticket from Purnia. However, Purnia went to the Rashtriya
Janata Dal (RJD), which allotted its symbol to JD(U) turncoat Bima Bharti, in the GA seat-sharing pact announced on March 30.
Bharti, who was with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), had severed ties in March, after having given jitters to the NDA during the trust vote on January 28.
Bharti has three cases pending against her, as per the affidavit she has submitted to the Election Commission of India. Her husband Awadhesh Kumar Mandal is also an accused in criminal cases. Santosh Kumar of the JD(U), pitted against her, does not face any criminal case.
Katihar, where five-time MP and former Union minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) co-founder Tariq Anwar of the Congress filed his nomination on Wednesday, also promises to be an interesting contest. He is pitted against Dulalchand Goswami, an MP of the JD(U).
Anwar, who was earlier with the Congress, had left it in 1999 to form the NCP with Sharad Pawar before returning to the grand old party in 2018.
Barring Purnia. it will be a direct fight between the NDA and GA in the remaining four constituencies of the second phase.
The JD(U), which is part of the NDA is contesting on all the five seats in the second phase, while the Congress and RJD, which are part of the GA are contesting on three and two seats, respectively. Barring Kishanganj, four of the five candidates the JD(U) has fielded are MPs.
PURNEA: Bihar’s Purnea Lok Sabha seat will witness a triangular contest in the parliamentary polls. After JD-U and RJD, Congress rebel Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav filed nomination for the seat on Thursday, the last day of nomination for the second phase of Lok Sabha (LS) polls.
Purnea, along with Kishanganj, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Banka goes to poll in second phase on April 26.
After filing nomination, Yadav said, “Pappu is symbolic to Purnea and vice versa. Today for the first time, neither there is an organisation, nor religion, nor caste, there is just humanity. I made no mistake, no crime. I always stood with everyone in all difficulties. The life that is left in me, I will work hard to fight corruption and develop Seemanchal and Kosi.”
He said, “I have definitely been tortured and distressed during the last 14 days but I have won the heart of the country. Winning elections doesn’t matter to me but it is to win the trust of the country and I have won the trust of Bihar. Congress family is with me, I have won their trust and I’ll be with this family forever.”
He claimed himself a dedicated worker of Congress. “My only aim is to make Rahul Gandhi the PM and to strengthen the Congress in Bihar,” he asserted.
Yadav said he would continue to work to strengthen Congress party and grand alliance in Bihar. “Though I am not contesting on Congress party ticket, we all have the one goal - to oust Modi from power,” he said.
Without taking the name of Tejashwi Yadav who participated in the nomination of Bima Bharti on Wednesday, Pappu Yadav said, “A leader must shun the politics of hatred,” adding, “He should also have met me, I am not his enemy.” He expressed gratitude to the people of Purnea for their continuous support. He alleged that some leaders wanted him to die a political death, but Purnea people would give them a befitting reply in elections.