Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, November 1
In a fresh lease of trust deficit between the BJP and its ally JDU in the on-going assembly elections in Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi’s startling revelation had stirred the political cauldron.
Addressing an election meeting at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district, Sushil Modi alleged the JDU MP from Bhagalpur Ajay Mandal was working against the BJP candidate, Rohit Pandey.
Modi used the election campaign platform to charge the JDU MP with sabotaging the campaign of the BJP candidate and helping independent candidate Aman Paswan.
Deputy CM who is the star campaigner of the BJP regretted the JDU MP was not following the alliance dharma and attempting to defeat the BJP candidate. He reminded Mandal during his election to Lok Sabha last year, the BJP workers had actively campaigned for the JDU candidate. Mandal is engaged in creating confusion among the electorate.
Modi warned Ajay Mandal, “you must remember there will be Lok Sabha elections in next few years and BJP workers will then not work for you.” He alleged Mandal was enjoying in Goa and Mumbai and did not work to improve the condition of his constituency.
Deputy CM alleged Mandal took money to campaign against the NDA candidate. Mandal, however, denied the charge and said some misleading information has been passed on to Modi.
Problem started when Modi did not find Mandal on the dais at Pirpainti. He had received complaints against Mandal and from the stage itself he telephoned Mandal and inquired about his absence and from the same platform he openly criticised the JDU MP.
Aman Paswan, the independent candidate from Pirpainti was also an aspirant for BJP ticket, but he was denied and in his place Pandey was nominated. Ajay Mandal instructed some of his supporters to help Aman, it is alleged. One of his supporters Chandan Kumar had claimed he was asked to support Aman.
Ajay Mandal was earlier a three term MLA from Nathnagar in Bhagalpur before being nominated as NDA candidate for Lok Sabha last year.
Senior BJP leaders from Bhagalpur were also absent from the campaign. Syed Shahnawaj Hussain who was an MP from Bhagalpur is away in New Delhi as he is reported to be sick. Arjit Sarsat Chaubey who had unsuccessfully contested the 2015 assembly elections and was a strong contender for BJP symbol is also not active. Arijit was arrested last year during Durga Puja for violence in the town. The chief minister and deputy chief minister had reportedly opposed his candidature claiming the junior Chaubey was a hardliner. His father Ashwini Kumafr Chaubey is union minister of state for Health and family welfare.
The BJP campaign is being led by an outsider of Bhagalpur, Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Godda in Jharkhand is campaigning for the BJP candidate here and telling the electorate Pandey was his nominee.
According to reports received from half a dozen constituencies in Shahabad region, there was complete lack of trust between the JDU and the BJP leaders and they actively worked against the official nominees. BJP has expelled 40 such rebel leaders.
