After spending weeks of caution and calculation to decide their candidates for the Assembly polls, Bihar’s major parties are aghast to see a renewed wave of revolts and protests accompanying the phase-wise announcement of the lists of candidates.
With the Assembly polls, beginning from October 21, going to be decidedly the toughest ever in the state’s history due to the multiplicity of political parties vying for the 243 constituencies charged with strong identity politics, allotment of tickets has been a most difficult early hurdle for all the parties. But the bigger parties such as the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine, the Opposition RJD-LJP alliance, the Congress and the BSP are witnessing revolts among their ranks and files as they go on announcing their candidates for the six-phase polls.
Senior leaders in the JD(U), which is contesting in 141 constituencies and by Thursday announced 127 candidates, are shocked to see two leaders — Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha and MLC Shiv Prasanna Yadav — tendering their resignations from their party posts. Besides, two JD(U) MPs Jai Narayan Nishad and Purnamasi Ram openly criticised the party’s leadership for denying tickets to their sons.
The JD(U), keen to regain power, has denied party tickets to eight sitting MLAs. But leaders like Mr Kushwaha and Mr Yadav are upset because their supporters were denied party tickets to contest. While Mr Kushwaha resigned as the JD(U)’s national general secretary, Mr Yadav resigned as MLC. An angry Ram has threatened to campaign for the Congress while remaining in the JD(U).
The BJP, which is contesting in 102 constituencies and has so far announced 87 candidates, is witnessing demonstrations by angry workers at its Patna headquarters. The party has denied tickets to four sitting MLAs and angered thousands of its supporters by conceding some constituencies to ally JD(U) and allotting tickets to certain “outside candidates”.
The Congress, which is contesting in all the 243 constituencies on its own, saw two of its senior leaders — former MPs Sadhu Yadav and Lovely Anand — express open displeasure with the leadership because their supporters were denied party tickets. The Congress has so far announced only 77 candidates.
While the RJD and its ally LJP have seen angry supporters demonstrating outside their offices, the BSP leadership has faced charges of allotting tickets in exchange for pecuniary gains. The three parties have so far announced their candidates only partially.