Rift surfaces within GA, NDA over elections on 4 council seats

Rift has surfaced within the Grand Alliance in Bihar over distribution of four seats of state Legislative Council that will go to poll on March 9 with Congress denied of any seat.

Within Grand Alliance, JD(U) and RJD are contesting on two seats each with Congress drawing a blank.

Murmuring is not confined to Grand Alliance only but also in the NDA camp where LJP of Ramvilas Paswan is determined to field its candidate on Gaya teachers seat against ally RLSP.

In the NDA camp, while BJP has got two seats Gaya graduate and Kosi teachers, HAM got Saran graduates and RLSP Gaya teachers constituency.
 

Legislative Council Chairman Awdesh Narayan Singh is seeking re-election for third consecutive term from Gaya graduates seat. He faces challenge from RJD Puneet Singh.

State Congress President and minister Ashok Choudhary told reporters that "nomination is open till February 20 and just wait and see what the party does."

Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh was more forthcoming and complained it was against "gatbandhan dharma".

Stating that Congress has rightful claim over Gaya Graduate seat where its candidate Ajay Singh had come second last time and it should get it, Singh, eight term MLA from Kahalgaon, urged JD(U) and RJD to rethink over it.

When asked about Congress discontentment over denial of any seat in Legislative Council poll, RJD President Lalu Prasad told reporters today that since there were only four seats "we RJD and JD(U) have fielded candidates on two seas each. When more seats get vacated we'll accomodate Congress then."

JD(U) state spokesman Neeraj Kumar, MLC, said the two seats the party was contesting are its sitting seats.

On murmuring within NDA camp, chief spokesman of BJP Binod Narayan Jha told PTI that "its not a big issue. NDA leadership would forge unity among coalition partners in the next 2-4 days...There will be one to one contest between NDA and Grand Alliance nominees on all the seats."

LJP state party spokesman Ashraf Ansari said RLSP claim over Gaya teachers seat was not justified as its nominee Sanjeev Shyam Singh had last time won from here as an Independent. "LJP candidate D N Sinha will contest Gaya teachers seat in any circumstance," Ansari added.