RJD, LJP have highest tainted nominees

A large number of candidates with criminal antecedents, who have enough muscle and firepower, will have their fate sealed during the remaining two phases of the Assembly elections in Bihar.

The ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its sworn enemy the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have vied with each other in allocating tickets to such candidates.

RJD nominee Prahalad Yadav wanted in several cases of alleged dacoities, murder and kidnapping for ransom has filed his papers for the Surajgarha Assembly constituency in the Munger district.

The RJD has given ticket to Amar Yadav, son of a dreaded dacoit Bhagar Yadav, from Nautan in the West Champaran district and Chote Lal Shani from Govindganj to take on the might of incarcerated LJP nominee Rajan Tiwari.

Tiwari is presently lodged in the Beur central jail for his alleged involvement in a murder case. Babloo Deo, against whom over a dozen cases of murder, dacoities and kidnapping for ransom were pending too figure in the RJD list.

The LJP of Ramvilas Paswan has, in fact, taken the lead in giving tickets to people having dubious background. The LJP has given ticket to Suman Kumar Singh alias Ranji Don, from Hilsa in the Nalanda district.

Don is now lodged in the Beur central jail for his alleged involvement in leaking the question papers of combined medical entrance test as well as the test papers of premier institutes including the Indian Institute of Management. The RJD chief has already given party ticket to Don's brother Shrwan Kumar from Nalanda.

The LJP has provided party tickets to other such candidates like Manoranjan Singh alias Dhumal Singh from Baniapur in the Saran district. He is wanted by the Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh police in different cases of extortion, loot and murder.

Others include incarcerated RJD member of Parliament from Siwan Mohammad Shabuddin and Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav who recently resigned from the RJD parliamentary party board in protest against the denial of tickets to his supporters.

Yadav has a strong clout among people of his caste, particularly in the Madhepura, Saharsa and Purnea districts and is likely to shift the voting pattern in the second and third phase of polling.

Similarly, the LJP member of Parliament from Balia Surajbahan Singh, now out on bail, commands the entire riverine belt in the Begusarai and Khagaria districts and will ensure that LJP candidates win with thumping majority in his area.

All said and done, the second and third phase of elections would decide the formation of next government in Bihar. While elections will be held for 86 seats in the second phase on February 15, the third phase would decide the fate of 93 candidates on February 23.

RJD Minister Ramprakash Mahto resigned from the Rabri Devi Cabinet and surrendered before the court before filing his nomination papers for the Katihar Assembly seat as an old criminal case was pending against him.

Former RJD Minister Surendra Prasad Yadav too surrendered before a court and after election in the Belaganj Assembly constituency, which he represents, in the naxalite-affected Gaya district, was over, sent to jail. His bail application has been rejected by the district court.