In the midst of internal bickering, the Lok Janshakti Party on Monday announced candidates for nine seats for Bihar polls, fielding former MP and strongman Kaali Pandey from Kuchaykot and Vijay Singh from Chakai Assembly seat over which it was at loggerheads with Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).
Announcing the second list of candidates, LJP Parliamentary Board chairman Chirag Paswan said the selection of candidates for the first phase of polls on October 12 has been completed for which the date of filing nomination ends on Wednesday.
Six will contest in Phase 1
With names of nine candidates announced of which six will contest in the first phase, the LJP has announced candidates for a total of 21 seats out of 40, which was allotted under the seat-sharing of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced last week.
LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan’s son-in-law Anil Kumar Sadhu had on Saturday raised a banner of revolt against him over denial of ticket for the Bihar Assembly elections and announced his decision to field Dalit Sena candidates in all the districts to defeat NDA nominees.
Asked about the rebellion by a family member, Mr. Chirag Paswan said the matter would be resolved by the family elders.
Family matters
“I am too junior to him to comment anything publicly. This is a family matter and will be resolved by the elders,” he said.
Calling Mr. Sadhu an elder brother and a family member, he said that family was a very sensitive thing for him and he would not like to discuss it in public.
Mr. Sadhu, who wanted to enter the fray from Kutumba (reserved seat in Aurangabad district), was upset over the seat allotted to former Chief Minister and HAM founder Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son Santosh Kumar Suman. He said he was not given a ticket though his younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras and Prince Raj, son of Ramchandra Paswan, another MP brother of the LJP chief, and another relative at Sonbarsa were given tickets.
Resignation of MP
About the resignation of Vaishali Lok Sabha MP and party general Ramakishore Singh from the party, Mr. Chirag Paswan said he would not comment on the remarks made by the former MP and this was a matter to be resolved by senior leaders of the party.
“When a person is angry, he says many things. As time passes, things will be normalised,” he said.
Mr. Chirag Paswan said that he had only followed the criteria of winnability in giving tickets.
“Out of the nine candidates, six are for the first phase. With this the list for first phase is over now. Remaining three are from second, third and fourth phases,” he said.
Consensus with BJP on 40 seats
Mr. Chirag said the party has reached a consensus with BJP on all 40 seats including on Jamui and Chakai.
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