In Big Blow to INDI in Bihar, RJD-Congress Lock Horns Over Aurangabad Lok Sabha Seat

Patna: In a massive blow to the INDI bloc ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress locked horns over seat-sharing arrangements in the Aurangabad constituency, with Senior Congress leader Nikhil Kumar accusing ally RJD of breaching coalition ethics by allocating party tickets for constituencies where its partners had rightful claims.

The RJD fielded Abhay Kushwaha from the Aurangabad segment, escalating the war of words with the Congress.   

IPS officer-turned-politician Kumar said, “We will contest the Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat at any cost. Else it will affect the alliance in Bihar. At any cost we will contest 9-10 seats out of 40. Lalu Yadav is not following the alliance dharma. We have spoken to the Congress high command and a decision will be taken soon.”  

He added that Aurangabad segment has been a traditional seat of the Congress party. 

Expressing his expectation for a party ticket from Aurangabad, a constituency he secured for the Congress in 2004, Kumar said that if the alliance with the RJD came apart, "it would be a greater loss" for the regional ally.

He reminded them of the 2019 elections when the RJD failed to secure any seats while the Congress still managed to win one in Bihar.

Kumar, whose late father Satyendra Narayan Sinha was a former chief minister of Bihar and a multiple-term MP from Aurangabad, frowned upon the RJD giving party ticket to JD(U) turncoat Abhay Kushwaha.

Kumar was preceded as Aurangabad MP by his late wife Shyama Singh. He lost the seat in 2009 when the RJD similarly ditched the Congress. Between the conflict, JD(U) candidate Sushil Kumar Singh won the seat with a massive margin.