Turmoil in Bihar grand alliance

Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) decision to contest the byelections to four of five Assembly seats in Bihar has created a flutter in the grand alliance, particularly Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Congress.

HAM leaders in Patna blamed Tejashwi Yadav for trying to break the grand alliance ahead of polls on the instructions of the BJP. HAM insiders also claimed that the party is in touch with other like-minded secular forces including Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP) and may contest the elections in alliance with them.

“We had asked for just one seat, but the RJD refused our demand. We feel that efforts are being made to break the alliance on the instruction of BJP”, HAM spokesperson Danish Rizwan told this newspaper.

Both RLSP and VIP had joined the grand alliance before the Lok Sabha elections and have been hopeful of getting a fair amount of seats to contest in the byelection. Though RLSP leaders have not yet reacted on the issue, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani on Wednesday said that his party has decided to support HAM in the byelection.

“It seems that the RJD does not need an alliance that is why we have decided to support Hindustani Awam Morcha in the byelection. The grand alliance may also survive without the RJD in Bihar”, Mr Sahani said.

The Congress, which is an old ally of the RJD in Bihar, has been asked to field candidates on two seats including Sama-stipur parliamentary and Kishanganj Assembly seats.  In the Lok Sabha election LJP leader, Ram Chandra Paswan had defeated Congress nominee Dr Ashok Ram from Samastipur. The byelection to the seat was necessitated following the demise of LJP MP Ram Chandra Paswan in July this year. The five Assembly seats going to polls on October 21 fell vacant after the leaders who represented them were elected to Lok Sabha.

The rift in the grand alliance had surfaced after Mr Manjhi announced a candidate from Nathnagar Assembly constituency.

Sources in the RJD said that Mr Manjhi took the decision without consulting Tejashwi Yadav who is currently running RJD in the absence of his father Lalu Yadav.

When asked about his reaction on RJD’s decision to contest on four assembly seats Congress state president Madan Mohan Jha said that, “Everyone is trying to enforce their own opinion on alliance partner which is not good. The Congress party cannot say anything about the grand alliance at the moment as we are yet to receive instructions from our central leaders on the issue.”