Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram
Credit: X/@rajeshkrinc
Patna: The Bihar battle is turning into a ‘Maha-war’ within the Mahagatbandhan where all the major constituents are busy fighting amongst each other, thereby sending a wrong message to its voters.
With the Congress, CPI and the RJD putting up their nominees against each other in at least 15 constituencies, the RJD “intensified the war” by fielding its candidate Suresh Paswan, former minister, against the Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram, who is a sitting MLA in the outgoing Assembly from Kutumba in Aurangabad.
“I am going to contest from Kutumba and will file my nomination papers on October 20. There are many seats where the allies of Mahagatbandhan are facing each other. Kutumba too is one such seat,” said Paswan.
Notably, Kutumba will go to polls in the second phase of election for 122 seats on November 11. The last day to file nomination papers is October 20. Incidentally, Rajesh Ram, whom the Congress has already allotted party symbol, too will file his nomination the same day (October 20).
Ram vents his ire
A protege of Rahul Gandhi, Rajesh Ram was pained over the attitude of the RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav after the latter decided to field its candidate against the Bihar Congress chief. Without naming Tejashwi, Rajesh Ram took to social media to vent his pain and anger. “Dalit has neither bent. Nor will ever bend. Time for Inquillab. Jai Congress,” wrote Rajesh Ram on social media in Hindi.
RJD scion Tejashwi Yadav, who is reportedly miffed with the Congress over non-declaration of his name as the CM face of the Mahagatbandhan, is believed to have held Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram responsible for the grand old party dragging its feet in projecting him as the Chief Ministerial candidate. It is against this backdrop that the RJD wants to take the Bihar Congress chief to task.
Tariq Anwar sermon
Meanwhile, former Union Minister and senior Congress MP Tariq Anwar expressed his dismay over the manner in which tickets were allotted to the Congress candidates. “Candidates like Gajanand Sahi, who lost to JD (U) Sudarshan Kumar by 113 votes during the 2020 Assembly election, were denied party tickets while those who lost badly have been retained,” lamented Anwar, questioning the methodology adopted by the Congress for distributing tickets.
Congress spokesperson Anand Madhav, who also heads the party’s research wing, has put in his papers after being denied a ticket. “The Congress will struggle to win even 10 seats the way tickets have been distributed this time,” Madhav wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, adding that “everyone in Bihar knows that Congress tickets are up for sale”.
Madhav’s resignation comes close on the heels of Congress supporters trying to attack Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram and in-charge of party affairs Krishna Allavaru two days back at the Patna airport. “Ticket chor, Bihar chhod (Those selling tickets, should leave Bihar),” rented the air, when both the Congress leaders landed at the Patna airport.