Lalu, Rabri, Misa Bharti, Rohini Acharya visit Hariharnath temple

Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi on Monday offered prayers at the famous Hariharnath temple in Bihar’s Saran district along with daughters, Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya, both of whom are likely to try their luck in the Lok Sabha elections.

Lalu, Rabri, Bharti and Acharya reached the Hariharnath temple at Sonepur in the morning and performed puja at the temple.

RJD sources say Singapore-based Acharya is likely to contest from Saran Lok Sabha seat and Rajya Sabha MP, Bharti from the Patliputra constituency.

Acharya, who has gained popularity because of her social media activism and her gesture of donating a kidney to her father, is also scheduled to kick off her campaign in Saran on Tuesday, they said.

Although the RJD is yet to make any formal announcement, four of its candidates have already filed nomination papers for the seats going to polls in the first phase on April 19.

Lok Sabha elections for the 40 seats in Bihar will be held in seven phases on April 19, 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25, and June 1.

The 'Mahagathbandhan' alliance in Bihar announced its seat-sharing formula last week, with the RJD to contest 26 of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress will field its candidates in nine seats, while the Left parties have been allotted five seats.

The BJP on March 24 had announced its candidates for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, dropping three sitting MPs, including Union Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey. Former Union ministers Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Ram Kripal Yadav are seeking re-election from Saran and Patliputra Lok Sabha seat on BJP ticket.

While Saran will go for polls in the fifth phase on May 20, elections will be held in the Patliputra seat in the last phase on June 1.