Triggering a crisis in the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar, the Congress on Tuesday announced its candidates for by-polls to Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur assembly segments, barely a couple of days after the RJD named its nominees for the seats. At a hurriedly convened press conference here, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Madan Mohan Jha announced the candidature of Atirek Kumar from Kusheshwar Asthan, a reserved seat, and Rajesh Kumar Mishra from Tarapur.
“I thank the party high command for respecting the sentiments of party workers in the state. Both candidates are young and will put up a spirited fight,” said Jha in an oblique reference to the short shrift it received when the RJD unilaterally announced its nominees on Sunday.
Jha refuted RJD’s claim that it had “discussed” the matter with the Congress before going ahead and said “it was I who had called up Jagadanand Singh (state RJD chief) in a bid to make them see reason. But they chose not to abide by coalition dharma. I urge Left parties, who are a part of Grand Alliance, to support us in the by-elections”.
Notably, the Congress had been hopeful that the RJD will not field its candidate from Kusheshwar Asthan, which had been fought by grand old party in the assembly elections last year. The BPCC president rejected suggestions that the RJD’s aggression stemmed from its misgivings over induction of Kanhaiya Kumar, who is often seen as a potential rival of Tejashwi Yadav.
“Kanhaiya Kumar’s induction was not a sudden development. It materialised after long deliberations and the RJD was very much aware of that. Not once did anybody from that party express any reservations,” Jha asserted.
Later, talking to reporters, Congress MLA Shakil Ahmed Khan, a former JNU student leader who had actively taken part in Kanhaiya’s state-wide demonstrations against CAA-NPR-NRC last year, asserted that the young leader will be campaigning extensively in the upcoming elections.
“Kanhaiya will be addressing at least 10 rallies,” said Khan who also lashed out at the RJD for “breaking away from the coalition, for which it is answerable to people”. Asked about Tejashwi’s perceived insecurity towards Kanhaiya, Khan said “it is for them to say”.
“The people of Bihar, however, remember how the RJD had distanced itself from Kanhaiya’s rally against CAA-NPR-NRC at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. It is for all to see that their (RJD leaders’) self-interest has trumped the commitment to fight for secularism,” the Congress MLA stated.
Khan also responded testily to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s veiled dig at the “high command culture” in parties like the Congress, made just a few hours ago. “I would say he should first handle his sons and resolve the differences between them which do not seem to end,” quipped Khan, referring to the frequent run-ins between Tejashwi and his mercurial elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav.
By-elections to the two assembly segments have been necessitated by deaths of the sitting MLAs, both belonging to the JD(U). The Nitish Kumar-led party, backed by all NDA partners, has already named its candidates.
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