HAM(S) national vice-president quits post, RJD’s Fatmi fumes

PATNA: With both NDA and Grand Alliance announcing names of their candidates for most of the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, rebellion within the parties has come to the fore.
While the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) national vice-president Mahachandra Prasad Singh resigned from the post, former RJD MP from Darbhanga M A A Fatmi threatened to oppose the party’s nominee after he was denied ticket.

After tendering his resignation to HAM (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday, Mahachandra said, “I am taken aback the way candidates are selected for the ensuing polls. The selection of candidates is done not by the leaders of the respective parties rather by those of the Grand Alliance, which is not good for the health of any political party.”

Mahachadra, a former MLC, however, clarified that he would not quit the party. “Although I have resigned from the national vice-president’s post, I will continue to serve the party as its active worker,” he added.

Fatmi, on the other hand, held a meeting with his supporters at Darbhanga after returning from Patna on Friday. He had come to Patna to meet former CM Rabri Devi and persuade her to allow him to contest either from Darbhanga or Madhubani.

As the talks did not materialise, Fatmi, a former Union minister, said he would contest the election as independent after seeking opinion of the workers of the party on the issue. “I will announce my next course of action on April 3 after holding a meeting with my supporters,” Fatmi told reporters in Darbhanga.

Fatmi had recently said that he was aware of many secrets of party chief Lalu Prasad. “I have been with Lalu through all the highs and lows in the last 30 years. I am party to many of his (Lalu’s) secrets,” the former MP had said.

The RJD has fielded former minister Abdul Bari Sidiqqui from Darbhanga, which Fatmi had earlier represented four times except 1999, 2009 and 2014.

Rebellion within the party is not confined to the GA only. Putul Kumari, former BJP MP from Banka, is contesting election from the same seat as an independent this time. She didn’t pay heed to the directive of the state leadership to withdraw her nomination papers.

Banka will go to polls in the second phase on April 18. Friday was the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers for the second phase. Polling will be held in five constituencies, including Banka, in the second phase.

However, it came as a great relief to the BJP when party’s MLC Ashok Agrawal withdrew his nomination papers for Katihar seat. State BJP president Nityanand Rai had met Agrawal on Thursday and persuaded him to withdraw his nomination papers.