Sharad Yadav's LJD to contest 51 seats in Bihar polls alone

 Igred by RJD as well as Congress to make him part of Grand Alliance, former union minister Shar Yav-led Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) Monday anunced that it will contest 51 out of total 243 assembly seats in Bihar on its own.

party has decided to contest lone seat of Kurtha in first phase and 50 seats in second and third phases, national general secretary of LJP Arun Srivastava told reporters here.

decision to contest assembly elections has been delayed because Shar Yav jee has t been keeping well and hence we could t take decision in time to field our candidates in first phase, Srivastava said.

We are contesting elections to protect Shar Yavs legacy (virasat) in politics,he asserted.Though a native of Mhya Presh, Yav, a socialist leer, has been fighting elections in Bihar eir with help of Lalu Pras or Nitish Kumar since days of Mandal commission movement that led to reservation for OBCs in government jobs.

Shar Yav h unsuccessfully contested from Mhepura Lok Sabha seat in Bihar in 2019 with support of Lalu Pras's party. Before that in 2014 he h lost as JD(U) minee to Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yav of RJD.Neir RJD leer Tejashwi Pras Yav r Congress party took any interest in forging a formidable alliance of secular forces to defeat BJP, Srivastava said.

"Everyone is interested in installing oneself as Chief Minister inste of defeating BJP," he said.

If all secular forces would have combined toger, y could have defeated Nitish Kumar and BJP, he said.He me it clear that rumuor of Shar Yav joining JD(U) some months back was absolutely "wrong and baseless".

(IM CREDITS:PTI)