JD(U) likely to give ticket to Digvijay Singh's wife

Reaching out to upper castes ahead of Assembly elections in Bihar, the ruling Janata Dal (United) in the state is likely to give tickets to kin of two influential leaders, including former union minister Digvijay Singh, who had parted ways with the party.

Reaching out to upper castes ahead of Assembly elections in Bihar, the ruling Janata Dal (United) in the state is likely to give tickets to kin of two influential leaders, including former union minister Digvijay Singh, who had parted ways with the party.

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Highly placed sources in JD(U) said that its top leaders are willing to give tickets to the wife of Digvijay Singh and the son of Jehanabad MP Jagdish Sharma.

Singh, who died last month in a London hospital following a brain haemorrhage, was a five-time MP and had won the last Lok Sabha election as an independent from Banka after JD-U denied him a ticket.

Singh, who belonged to the Rajput community and was an influential leader in his region, had fallen foul of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar before the last Lok Sabha polls and was gradually becoming a rallying point for upper caste leaders who were opposed to Kumar.

Following Singh's death, the party is aware that the sympathy factor will be there if his wife agrees to contest the election on the party ticket.

The other upper caste leader, Jagdish Sharma, who belongs to dominant Bhumihar community, was earlier suspended for anti-party activities after his wife contested assembly by-election in Bihar as an independent candidate in September last year against the party nominee and won the seat.

The party has revoked Sharma's suspension only two days back, which is seen as an attempt to woo Bhumihars who have a sizeable population in the state particularly the Magadh and Patna regions where Sharma has considerable clout.

"This time Sharma wants his son to contest from Ghoshi seat, which has been his bastion. The party may field him from the seat," sources in the party said. There is a also a realisation in the party that no candidate can win without Sharma's support from this particular seat.