Patna: In the list of 115 candidates released by JD(U) state President Bashistha Narain Singh on Wednesday, the name of former Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey is missing. His name was not even found on the list released by state BJP President Sanjay Jaiswal.
Pandey who had opted for VRS last month and joined JD(U) was aspiring to contest the assembly elections. He had reportedly preferred two constituencies -- Buxar and Shahpur from his home district. He had started preparations for the elections too and had claimed that thousands of his followers had visited to persuade him to contest the elections. Pandey today (Wednesday) said he was waiting for 'the call'.
Pandey, a 1987 batch IPS, had recently come into the limelight for making controversial statements on Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. He had also courted a controversy for a sexist comment about the deceased actor's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. "Bihar ke mukhyamantri pe comment karne ki aukaat Rhea Chakraborty ki nahi hai," he had said. Pandey was also overtly critical of the Mumbai Police and their handling of the case.
Meanwhile, Buxar is represented by the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Chaubey and he is strongly in favour of fielding a candidate of his choice. While BJP is yet to announce candidates for two seats from Buxar district -- Buxar and Brahampur, they have already announced a candidate from Shahpur and are reluctant to hand Pandey the ticket.
The former DGP may have to wait for the announcement of the candidate for Lok Sabha by-election scheduled from Balmiki Nagar. Pandey had unsuccessfully tried to contest 2009 elections too. He had resigned, but BJP did not oblige him and fielded the sitting MP Lalmuni Chaubey. Pandey withdrew his papers and rejoined service.
Besides, in JDU's final list, all leaders who had rebelled from RJD and joined the party have been obliged. Chandrika Rai, a former transport minister and close relative of the RJD president, Lalu Prasad has been nominated from Parsa. Two spokespersons of the party, Nikhil Mandal and Anjum Ara, have been fielded from Mahdepura and Dumraon respectively. Nikhil is grand son of the former chief minister, BP Mandal, chairman of Mandal Commission.
Also, the BJP today formally admitted Vikas Sheel Insaan Party(VIP) in its fold and gave 11 seats out of 121 allotted to the party under the seat-sharing arrangement in NDA. VIP president, Mukesh Sahani, an event organiser in Mumbai had left the press conference of Grand Alliance last week in a huff protesting against the denial of the required number of seats to the party. Sahni today said he was joining BJP without conditions. Maharashtra former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who is election in-charge of BJP for Bihar welcomed him.
