Cong names candidates for Bihar bypolls, Pappu pledges support

The party has decided to field declared Atirek Kumar, son of the former Congress legislature party leader Ashok Kumar, and Rajesh Kumar Mishra as its official nominees from Kusheshwar Asthan (reserved for the scheduled caste) in Darbhanga and Tarapur in Munger, respectively.

The rift between allies Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) widened further on Tuesday with the former announcing its candidates for the bypolls for Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur assembly seats where go to vote on October 30.

JAP chief Pappu Yadav addresses a press conference in Patna on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

The party has decided to field declared Atirek Kumar, son of the former Congress legislature party leader Ashok Kumar, and Rajesh Kumar Mishra as its official nominees from Kusheshwar Asthan (reserved for the scheduled caste) in Darbhanga and Tarapur in Munger, respectively.

RJD has already named candidates for both seats.

Talking to media persons at the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) office, state party chief Madan Mohan Jha said, “The party high command will take a decision on the fate of our alliance. We are focussed on the by-elections as of now.” He was asked if the Congress-RJD alliance would remain unaffected by the decision.

Asked about RJD’s claim of a “friendly contest”, Jha said, “In elections, there is no friendly fight.”

Earlier in the day, RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had told reporters that Congress leaders were apprised about his party’s decision to contest both the seats and claimed the “friendly fight” would not have a bearing on the alliance.

RJD has named Arun Kumar Sah and Ganesh Bharti as its candidates from Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan respectively.

Congress leaders, however, the party high command’s decision to severe ties with RJD. “The decision would go a long way in rejuvenating the lost glory of the party and infuse a fresh zeal among the cadres to strengthen the organisation. The upper castes, Muslims and the Dalits would return to the Congress’s fold,” said party leader Kishore Jha.

Meanwhile, former MP and Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav hailed the Congress’s decision to part ways with RJD and said his party would work actively to ensure victory of Congress candidates in the bypolls. “It’s good that the Congress finally discontinued its association with the party of double speak. JAP would support any drive of Rahul Gandhi to strengthen the organisation in the state,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of Pappu Yadav joining Congress, a senior party leader said the JAP chief had put off his plans owing to a few technicalities.

“The way Congress has played its cards shows it might not like to play a second fiddle to Tejashwi Prasad Yadav-led RJD, as it did during the regime of Lalu Prasad,” said Nawal Kishore Chaudhary, a political observer and former Patna university professor.