Bihar polls: Pappu Yadav teams with Chandra Shekhar Azad to take on NDA and Gathbandhan

As turmoil hits both NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, a third front has formed in the state ahead of the polls on Monday. The alliance named 'Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA)', headed by  Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) includes Chandrashekhar Azad's Azad Samaj Party, MK Faizi's Social Democratic Party and Bahujan Mukti Party. This alliance now faces the NDA, Gathbandhan and Asaduddin Owaisi's United Democratic Secular Alliance (UDSA)  with the Samajwadi Janata Dal (SJD).

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Bihar's third front launched

Talking at the event, Yadav said that Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP, the LJP, and Congress were invited to join the alliance. Accusing CM Nitish Kumar of failing to control the spread of the pandemic, he said that Nitish was 'drunk with power'. His ally Azad said, "A progressive democratic coalition has been launched to save Bihar, to establish social justice, to end caste tyranny, to ensure the participation of the underprivileged".

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Political shuffle

The Mahagathbandhan has suffered several jolts ahead of the state polls. On Saturday,  Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said that the Congress is prepared to contest on all 243 seats. He cast aspersion to the Mahagathbandhan, saying it will coalesce with RJD if they reach a  'respectable' understanding with it. Moreover, RJD's state General Secretary Mohammed Firoz Hussain has resigned from the primary membership of the party.

Similarly, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha expressed dissatisfaction with the RJD's leadership, saying seat-sharing was not important. Meanwhile, ex-chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, declared that his Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) will join the NDA. Similarly, RJD MLA Chandrika Rai - who was a close friend of Lalu Yadav and also Tej Pratap Yadav's father-in-law, senior MLAs Faraz Fatmi, Jaiwardhan Yadav and three more MLAs quit RJD and joined the ruling Nitish Kumar-led JDU. Recently, Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Rai also passed away, after quitting the party.

But jolts have also occurred in the NDA - LJP chief Chirag Paswan has constantly attacked CM Nitish Kumar, unhappy with the re-entry of Jitan Ram Manjhi in the NDA. Moreover, Bihar's Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey who voluntarily retired from the police force,  has joined the JD(U). Former Nitish aide- Sharad Yadav's LJD has stated it won't join NDA. Bihar will vote in 3 phases - October 28, November 3, and November 7, with the results being declared on November 10.

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