Patna : For many politicians in Bihar, the coming assembly elections have as much to do with political survival as keeping their political legacy alive. Among the prospective candidates of different parties are kin of prominent politicians, ready to encash their political vote banks for sailing into the legislature.
Those likely to contest the Bihar assembly polls in keeping with their families’ political traditions include the kin of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, former chief minister Jagannath Mishra, Shakuni Choudhary, Narendra Singh, Ashwani Choubey, Nand Kishore Yadav and Jagdish Sharma. For most top politicians, promoting their kin in politics is nothing exceptional and elections are the right time and the best opportunity to do so. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is an exception to this trend. Former chief minister Lalu Prasad and his wife are said to have made up their mind to launch the political careers of their two sons, Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejaswi Yadav, and their elder daughter Misa Bharti, who are set to contest as RJD candidates, reports IANS.
Lalu has hinted on fielding Tej Pratap from Mahua. Tejaswi has publically declared he would contest from Raghopur despite the fact that RJD ally Janata Dal-United has a sitting legislator from the assembly segment. A former chief minister, Rabri Devi has represented Raghopur in the state assembly and it is considered a safe seat with a sizeable population of Lalu’s castemen, the Yadavs.
Misa Bharti, who unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Patliputra, is likely to be field either from Maner or Danapur seats in Patna district.
Similarly, LJP chief and union minister Paswan’s two nephews are also likely to enter the electoral fray. Paswan’s one brother, Ram Chandra Paswan, is a parliamentarian while younger brother and former legislator Pasupati Kumar Paras is the LJP state president. Paswan’s only son Chirag Paswan is an MP and chairman of the LJP parliamentary board.Ram Chandra Paswan’s son Prince Kumar now aspires to contest from Kalyanpur, a reserved seat, in Samastipur district. The LJP chief’s son-in-law Anil Kumar Sadhu, the state president of Dalit Sena, is also willing to contest this time. He unsuccessfully fought the last assembly election from Masaurhi.
Though HAM leader and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi last week accused Paswan of promoting his family in politics, Manjhi’s own son and son-in-law are keen to throw their hats in the poll fray this time. “Manjhi has already told his partymen about this and directed them to ensure their victory,” a HAM leader said.
Manjhi’s eldest son Santosh Kumar Suman is eyeing the Makhdumpur seat or any other safe reserved seat. Manjhi won from Makhdumpur as a JD-U candidate in the 2010 assembly polls. Manjhi’s son-in-law Devender Manjhi too is keen to contest from any safe reserved seat.
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Nominations for first phase begin
Patna : The filing of nomination papers for the first phase of Bihar assembly polls, slated to be held on October 12, began on Wednesday, an official said.
In the first phase, elections will be held in 49 of the 243 assembly constituencies.
“The process for the five-phase assembly elections in Bihar has begun,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer R. Lakshamanan said here, reports IANS. The last date for filing nominations for this phase is September 23. While the scrutiny of papers will be held on September 24, candidates can withdraw their nominations till September 26.
The constituencies going to polls in the first phase are in 10 districts of the state — including Begusarai, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Munger, Jamui and Samastipur. The main contest is between the BJP-led NDA and the grand alliance of JD-U, RJD and the Congress. Bihar will elect a new 243-seat assembly in the staggered polls that begin on October 12 and end on November 5.
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