Controversial Independent MLA Anant Kumar Singh on Sunday took part in a road show by the Congress here to galvanize support for Rahul Gandhis rally on February 3.
The Mokama MLA, who wore a red tilak and dark sunglasses in his trademark style and is desirous of contesting Lok Sabha election from Munger, rode the same vehicle as Akhilesh Prasad Singh Congress Rajya Sabha MP and the chief of the states committee for Lok Sabha poll campaign.
Waving at curious journalists, the 'bahubali' MLA from an assembly segment of Munger said categorically "that he will be in the Lok Sabha fray as a Congress candidate."
Akhilesh Prasad Singh, who has maintained that his proximity to the Mokama MLA was on account of "family relations," however, sought to distance himself from Anant Singhs claim saying "a decision on who will be given a party ticket and from where will be taken by the party high command."
Notably, Singhs induction into the Congress may put the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar under strain since the RJD has been bitterly opposed to his entry.
Formerly known to be close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Singh was ousted from the JD(U) in 2015 after RJD supremo Lalu Prasad demanded action against him in connection with assault on a party supporter in Mokama.
Recently, Singh sang paeans to Prasad, indicating that he was ready to warm up to the RJD, but was snubbed by party heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who said there was no place for "bad elements".
Meanwhile, Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav took a dig at Tejashwi Yadav saying he should "ensure the safety and security of his own supporters" before taking a stand on people with tainted backgrounds.
"Which party does not have people with criminal antecedents? Tejashwi Yadav is only massaging his ego. He deems it more important to visit Lucknow and congratulate Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati for the SP-BSP alliance than caring about his own foot soldiers," Pappu Yadav said in Samastipur.
The Madhepura MP, who himself has a tainted antecedent, was in the north Bihar district to meet the family members of local RJD leader Raghuvar Rai, who was gunned down a couple of days ago.
Pappu Yadav, who had fought the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on an RJD ticket, was ousted soon afterwards for anti-party activities. He has since founded his own outfit Jan Adhikar Party and claims that while Lalu Prasad was ready for his partys inclusion in the Grand Alliance, it was being thwarted by Tejashwi.
The Madhepura MPs wife Ranjeeta Ranjan is a Congress MP from Supaul.
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