Published 11:55 IST, March 23rd 2019
SCOOP: Bihar gathbandhan divided after Lalu Prasad Yadav opposes Kanhaiya Kumar's ticket to contest from Begusarai
In a setback to the Bihar gathbandhan which was between the RJD and the Congress has been divided over the potential candidature of Kanhaiya Kumar. The CPI had wanted to field Kanhaiya Kumar from the Begusarai seat. The Congress too had wanted the same but its allies in RJD Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi did not, sources said.
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In a setback to the Bihar gathbandhan which was between the RJD and the Congress has been divided over the potential candidature of Kanhaiya Kumar.
The CPI had wanted to field Kanhaiya Kumar from the Begusarai seat. The Congress too had wanted the same but its coalition partners from the RJD, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi did not, sources said.
Kanhaiya who is from Begusarai has campaigned in the region. The NDA has announced that Giriraj Singh from the BJP will be fighting from the NDA in the Begusarai seat.
Manoj Jha from the RJD spoke to Republic TV on the development.
"Since Modi came politics is individual based. Laluji knows his capacity and Tejashwi's capacity. Individual has become bigger than parties since Modi entry to politics," he said.
As per sources, the gathbandhan seat-sharing will be divided as follows:
RJD will fight from 20 seats (including 1 seat to CPI-ML and 2 seats to Sharad Yadav and his supporter), 9 seats and a Rajya Saba Berth to Congress, 5 seats RLSP, 3 seats each to HAM party of Jitan Ram Manjhi and VIP party.
Kanhaiya Kumar has been named in the 2016 JNU sedition case.
Republic TV had reported in September 2018 that the former Students Union president of Jawaharlal Nehru University was likely to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Begusarai constituency in Bihar.
He will contest against the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance on a Communist Party of India (CPI) ticket and will possibly receive the support of grand alliance partners RJD, Congress and NCP.
The channel had also reported that Kumar will rally for Congress as a proxy for Rahul Gandhi.
As per Republic TV sources, the Congress unsure about Rahul Gandhi's performance, and had attempted to rope in leaders from other states to lead its charge as it attempts to wrest away the state from the BJP and long-time chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Accordingly, Patidar leader Hardik Patel, Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani and former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar have been chosen by the Congress to hold collective and individual rallies ahead of the elections.
11:27 IST, March 23rd 2019