New Delhi: In its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha election, the Janata Dal (United) named just seven candidates from Bihar in an apparent move to find more time to quell the rebellion within the party. While former IAS officer KP Ramaiah, who joined the JDU just a few days ago after taking voluntary retirement, has been fielded from Sasaram (SC) constituency which is presently represented by Congress's Meira Kumar, Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary will contest from Jamui where he faces a tough fight from BJP-LJP-RLSP candidate Chirag Paswan, the son of Ram Vilas Paswan. RJD has put up Sudhanshu Shekhar Bhaskar from Jamui.
In Nalanda, the stronghold of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JDU has fielded Kaushalendra Kumar and from the Aurangabad candidate is Baghi Kumar Verma who faces sitting MP and BJP nominee Sushil Singh and Congress's Nikhil Kumar, who has been an MP from the constituency in the past. Singh was expelled from the JDU and joined the BJP.
Sitting MP Mahabali Singh will once again contest from Karakat, Bihar SC & ST, Backward & Economically Backward Classes Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi from Gaya and Kaushal Yadav is the candidate from Nawada. Mahabali Singh faces RJD's Kanti Singh while the BJP is yet to name its candidate. In Gaya, another SC reserved constituency, the contest is between Jeetan Ram Manjhi, sitting MP and BJP nominee Hari Manjhi and RJD's Ramjee Manjhi.
Nawada presents an interesting contest as the JDU candidate is pitted against BJP MLC Giriraj Singh, who has vociferously expressed his unhappiness over the seat. Singh wanted to contest from Begusarai but now faces two Yadav candidates in Nawada - Rajballabh Yadav from RJD and JDU's Kaushal Yadav.
Bihar JDU President Bashistha Narayan Singh denied that the party had released just eight names due to rebellion by some party leaders. "There is no revolt in the party. We are united. Tickets have been given to the deserving candidates and the entire party is behind them. JDU is united and will win a large number of seats," he told IBNLive. Singh added that the next list will be announced after Holi.
The party has named only three sitting MPs in its first list - Mahabali Singh, Sharad Yadav and Kaushalendra Kumar - while the other five seats have gone to candidates fighting their first Lok Sabha elections. Voting in Sasaram, Karakat, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui will take place on April 10.
Jharkhand JDU chief Jaleshwar Mahato will contest from Giridh and Mahesh Yadav from Chatra. In a move that could further antagonise the BJP, the JDU has also named candidates for four seats in Narendra Modi-ruled Gujarat and one each in BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
JDU is contesting 38 of 40 seats in alliance with CPI, which will fight from Begusarai and Banka. JDU's Monazir Hassan is the sitting MP from Begusarai. Since the seat has been given to CPI under the alliance agreement, he is likely to be fielded from another seat.
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