Tejashwi to attend Subhash Yadav rally in Chatra today

Ranchi: Former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav will be by the side of RJD’s Chatra candidate Subhash Yadav when he will file his nomination papers on Friday, party leaders here said. Tejashwi, who will reach Chatra in a helicopter, will also hold a ‘padyatra’ and address a public meeting in support of the RJD candidate.
Mahagathbandhan partners RJD and Congress have locked in negotiations for weeks over the Chatra seat, which has been an RJD stronghold for years. Under the mahagathbandhan’s seat-sharing arrangement, RJD has been given Palamu. Chatra, Palamu and Lohardaga will go to polls on April 29. The last date of filling nominations is April 9.

Tejashwi’s rally is being seen by many as RJD’s show of strength after its state president Annapurna Devi and senior leaders Janardhan Paswan and Girinath Singh moved to the BJP over the past two weeks. “You can see it that way,” state RJD president Gautam Sagar Rana told TOI on Thursday. “Elections are here and we will put all our might to win this seat,” he added.

While Yadav will file his nomination papers on Friday, RJD’s Palamu candidate Ghuran Ram will file his nomination on Saturday. It is not clear if Tejashwi will accompany Ram. “However, leaders from parties in the Grand Alliance will be attending Ram’s nomination filing,” state RJD secretary Kailash Yadav said.

Kailash said Tejashwi’s rally will witness heavy attendance from supporters and locals. “In Chatra, most of the people are inspired with our party’s ideology and hold Laluji in high regard,” he added.

Congress, however, remains optimistic that RJD will withdraw its candidate. Senior leaders in Ranchi said the party will wait while negotiations continue with the RJD leadership. The buzz is that sitting Barhi MLA Manoj Yadav is the top contender for the Congress ticket for Chatra.