Already apprised Cong that RJD will contest bypolls in Bihar: Tejashwi Yadav

On Sunday, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) announced its candidates for bypolls to Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan, in what was being observed as a snub to the Congress, a junior ally of the RJD that wanted to contest in one of these seats.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav clarified on Tuesday that the party decided to contest the upcoming bypolls in Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan assembly constituencies of Bihar on October 30, adding that the RJD already apprised the Congress of its decision.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. (HT file photo)

Yadav, who is also the leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly, told news agency ANI, “There is no problem within Mahagathbandhan. Our party decided to contest elections in two constituencies. If there is a friendly candidature by Congress (for bypolls), it won’t be an issue.”

On Sunday, the RJD announced its candidates for bypolls to Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan, in what was being observed as a snub to the Congress, a junior ally of the RJD that wanted to contest in one of these seats. The RJD has fielded Arun Kumar Sah for Tarapur and Ganesh Bharti for Kusheshwar Asthan respectively.

Expressing shock over the RJD’s decision to field a candidate from Kusheshwar Asthan, Congress said on Sunday that this was allocated to it as part of the deal among opposition parties during the last year’s assembly elections in Bihar. The Congress had lost Kusheshwar Asthan by a margin of fewer than 7,000 votes in the 2020 elections.

“The announcement came as a shock to the (Congress) party as we were following the coalition dharma and was preparing for Kusheshwar Asthan seat, which was allocated to the Congress under the seat adjustment among the opposition alliance during the 2020 assembly elections,” Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha told Hindustan Times.

On the other hand, Senior Congress leader Kishore Kumar Jha told HT that RJD always took the former for a ride and parted ways whenever it found a better opportunity.

The relationship between RJD and the Congress took a sour turn in recent days when Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Kanhaiya Kumar jumped ship to the Congress last week. Just like the Congress, the CPI is also a junior ally of the RJD In Bihar.

“The RJD is jittery over attempts by the Congress to come out of its shadow by inducting people like Kanhaiya Kumar,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nikhil Anand said in a statement on Sunday. Anand said that RJD killed two birds with one stone by announcing candidates for Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan seats.

“It (RJD) has shown the Congress its place in the state and also obviated any possibility of Tejashwi and Kanhaiya sharing the stage during by-polls,” the BJP spokesperson added.

(With inputs from Subhash Pathak)