Bihar assembly by-election: After the announcement of RJD candidates, Congress contacts Pappu Yadav
Amid its standoff with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over the upcoming Bihar bypolls, the Congress said Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav is expected to contest on his election symbol.
Pappu Yadav, who was acquitted on Monday in the 32-year-old kidnapping case, was in the news for his efforts to help common people during the Covid pandemic and the lockdown.
Congress MLA Premchandra Mishra said that Congress and Pappu Yadav have similar ideology and their relations with the party are also cordial.
Congress Legislature Party leader Ajit Sharma said: “Pappu Yadav is considered to be the second tallest leader of Bihar after Lalu Prasad. Congress is in touch with him. If Pappu Yadav expresses the idea of contesting the elections, we will go to Tarapur constituency. Will give tickets from Munger. However, state Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha said that no step has been taken in this direction so far.
“These may be views of different leaders of the party, but it is neither my view nor that of our top leadership,” he said. He said the party was committed to contest the by-polls to both the Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan assembly seats.
He said, “We had sent observers to these two constituencies for a few days and the report is being submitted to the top leadership of the party. So far, four to five candidates have indicated to contest the by-polls from these two seats. The names have been sent to New Delhi. They will take a decision on the selection of the candidates,” Jha said.
Following the Congress stand, the prospects of RJD may be hit, which has announced that it will contest both the seats, as there is a good chance of vote-sharing. Not only this, the Pappu Yadav factor can also divide the votes of the Grand Alliance. NDA is united this time and JD-U is fighting both the bypolls and alliance partners BJP, HAM and VIP are supporting it.
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