Tejashwi may campaign in WB polls

RJD leader Tejashwi Prasasd Yadav could be canvassing for Trinamool Congress candidates in a few pockets in the neighbouring state of West Bengal in the remaining rounds of the eight-phase assembly polls ending on April 29, it’s reliably learnt

RJD leader Tejashwi Prasasd Yadav could be canvassing for Trinamool Congress candidates in a few pockets in the neighbouring state of West Bengal in the remaining rounds of the eight-phase assembly polls ending on April 29, it’s reliably learnt.

HT Image

On Wednesday, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had written to 15 top Opposition leaders in the country, urging them to unite against the BJP.

Sources said the 31-year-old RJD scion, who has already extended his party’s support to Trinamool in the West Bengal polls by not fielding any candidate, could be scheduled to campaign before fifth and seventh phase on April 17 and April 26 when constituencies like Burdaman, Asansol, Durgapur, which have a sizeable number of Bihar natives, go to vote.

“We have received requests from Trinamool leaders and other candidates, but we have not drawn up a schedule so far. We are taking feedback from our party’s West Bengal unit on the canvassing schedule,” said Sanjay Yadav, a close aide of Tejashwi Yadav.

Party’s national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said, “It is likely that Tejashwi will be campaigning in Bengal.”

Jha had earlier said that Mamata Banerjee’s letter to 15 opposition leaders to unite against BJP was “very timely”.

Incidentally, state BJP leaders have questioned Tejashwi Yadav’s “silence” over the Trinamool chief’s recent remarks wherein she accused the BJP of bringing in anti-social elements from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at Nandigram to intimidate voters. Banerjee is locked in a keen contest with BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, where polling took place on Thursday.

“We condemn the statement by Banerjee about people from UP and Bihar. Why isTejashwi not giving a clarification?” said Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand.

RJD’s state spokesperson Chittraranjan Gagan said BJP was in the habit of twisting facts for deriving political mileage.

Meanwhile, HAM(S) chief and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose party is a constituent of the ruling NDA in Bihar, is also scheduled to campaign in a few areas of Kolkata from April 5 onwards.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, whose party JD(U) is contesting 40 seats in West Bengal, is unlikely to campaign there.