JD-U 'gifts' candidates to BJP

In a rare alliance management exercise, the JD(U) not only gave some seats it contested last time to ally BJP, but also its "own" candidates to contest on the BJP's symbol! Vikas Pathak reports.

In a rare alliance management exercise, the JD(U) not only gave some seats it contested last time to ally BJP, but also its "own" candidates to contest on the BJP's symbol!

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A section of the party's Bihar unit is displeased that while the BJP's activists were ignored for the two seats — Gayaghat and Auraai — JD(U) faces were given the BJP's symbol to contest the seats.

"Last evening they were suddenly given the BJP symbol," a BJP leader said.

"Our own activists have been ignored. The JD(U) took Digha, a BJP stronghold, from us and gave us these seats in return, but here too they got their people to contest on our symbol."

The "BJP" candidates on the seats are: Dina Devi, who is known to belong to JD(U), from Gayaghat and Ram Surat Rai, who contested the last by-polls as a JD(U) leader, from Auraai.

These apart, Saba Zafar, a relative of Mohammad Taslimuddin, who joined the JD(U) from RJD, has been given the ticket from Amour after removing the name of Majaharul Bari.

A BJP leader said that in all about 20 candidates who were given BJP tickets were earlier with other parties and had been chosen over BJP leaders.

However, a party leader said that as the party did not have winning candidates in many seats, it chose leaders who were with other parties on the ground of winnability.

"Now that they are contesting on our symbol, they are our candidates and belong to the BJP," he said.