PATNA: With the Election Commission announcing schedule for by-election in one parliamentary and five assembly constituencies in Bihar, political atmosphere has hot up in Samastipur (SC) Lok Sabha and Kishanganj, Simri Bakhtiarpur, Daraunda, Nathnagar and Belhar assembly seats of the state.
All these constituencies will go to polls on October 21 while nomination will begin from September 23 (Monday). September 30 is the last date for filing nominations, counting will be held on October 24.
With only two days left for the beginning of filing of nominations for these constituencies, the leading political parties in both the alliances- the five-party Grand Alliance and three-party NDA-- on Saturday began making their claims and counter-claims on the five assembly seats, which fell vacant after the respective MLAs got elected to the Lok Sabha during the 2019 general election.
The by-election in Samastipur (SC) Lok Sabha was necessitated following the death of sitting MP Ram Chandra Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party.
In NDA, the LJP has staked its claim on Samastipur Lok Sabha seat, whereas JD(U) wants to contest from four of the five assembly seats citing old convention that the seats during the by-election goes to the same party which had won the last time.
On the contrary, a section of BJP leaders wants to contest at least three of the five assembly seats on the pleas that the saffron party got more percentage of votes than the JD(U) during the 2019 Lok Sabha seats.
When contacted over phone, JD(U) national secretary general KC Tyagi said though the NDA’s top leaders have so far not held a meeting to discuss distribution of seats for the by-poll, the convention says the vacant seats should go to the same party which won during the last election.
“Thus, as per the convention, JD(U) will have its claim on four assembly seats- Simri Bakhtiapur, Daraunda, Nathnagar and Belhar which were vacated by the JD(U)’s then MLAs namely Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Kavita Devi, Ajay Kumar Mandal and Girdhari Yadav, respectively,” Tyagi told TOI.
To a question over Samastipur (SC) Lok Sabha seat, Tyagi said JD(U) would not make any claim on this seat. “I hope this seat will go in favour of the LJP and former MP late Ram Chandra Paswan’s son Prince may be the NDA candidate from there,” Tyagi told TOI, adding, “There is no dispute among the NDA partners on issue of seat distribution. Top leaders will soon sit together and amicably announce the NDA candidates for all five assembly seats.”
On being asked about the BJP’s claim on the assembly seats for by-election, the party’s spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “NDA is a united force in Bihar and bound to sweep the by- election in all five assembly and lone parliamentary seat. It doesn't matter who will contest which seat but NDA parties will unitedly outvote the grand alliance candidates."
LJP state president and MP Pashupati Kumar Paras said, “Paswan’s son Prince has already begun campaigning in Samastipour area for the last one month. Prince is bound to get sympathy vote as the seat fell vacant after his father’s death.”
In the Grand Alliance too, almost all allies have made up their mind to leave the Samastipur Lok Sabha seat for the Congress which was runner up in 2014 and 2019 general elections. The Congress may also get Kishanganj assembly seat because it was vacated by its former MLA Mohammad Javed after being elected as MP from the Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat.
The actual tug of war among the GA partners is over the rest four assembly seats. The situation in the grand alliance became trickier on Saturday after the RJD’s spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari staked claim over four seats on the plea that Lalu Prasad’s party had been runner-up from Simri Bakhtiarpur, Daraunda, Nathnagar and Belhar seats in 2010 assembly election. “Today’s political polarization is similar to 2010 assembly elections. Hence, seat should be allocated on the basis of the party’s performance in 2010,” Tiwari told TOI. However, he hastened to add that senior GA leaders would sit together and solve the issue of seat distribution in coming days.
The Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM(S) has staked its claim on Kishanganj and Nathnagar seats. But insiders in the GA said, Manjhi’s party has made claim just for the sake of claim.
Congress incharge for Bihar Shakti Sinh Gohil had already said that his party would not leave its claim form Samastipur Lok Sabha and Kishanganj assembly seat.
All these constituencies will go to polls on October 21 while nomination will begin from September 23 (Monday). September 30 is the last date for filing nominations, counting will be held on October 24.
With only two days left for the beginning of filing of nominations for these constituencies, the leading political parties in both the alliances- the five-party Grand Alliance and three-party NDA-- on Saturday began making their claims and counter-claims on the five assembly seats, which fell vacant after the respective MLAs got elected to the Lok Sabha during the 2019 general election.
The by-election in Samastipur (SC) Lok Sabha was necessitated following the death of sitting MP Ram Chandra Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party.
In NDA, the LJP has staked its claim on Samastipur Lok Sabha seat, whereas JD(U) wants to contest from four of the five assembly seats citing old convention that the seats during the by-election goes to the same party which had won the last time.
On the contrary, a section of BJP leaders wants to contest at least three of the five assembly seats on the pleas that the saffron party got more percentage of votes than the JD(U) during the 2019 Lok Sabha seats.
When contacted over phone, JD(U) national secretary general KC Tyagi said though the NDA’s top leaders have so far not held a meeting to discuss distribution of seats for the by-poll, the convention says the vacant seats should go to the same party which won during the last election.
“Thus, as per the convention, JD(U) will have its claim on four assembly seats- Simri Bakhtiapur, Daraunda, Nathnagar and Belhar which were vacated by the JD(U)’s then MLAs namely Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Kavita Devi, Ajay Kumar Mandal and Girdhari Yadav, respectively,” Tyagi told TOI.
To a question over Samastipur (SC) Lok Sabha seat, Tyagi said JD(U) would not make any claim on this seat. “I hope this seat will go in favour of the LJP and former MP late Ram Chandra Paswan’s son Prince may be the NDA candidate from there,” Tyagi told TOI, adding, “There is no dispute among the NDA partners on issue of seat distribution. Top leaders will soon sit together and amicably announce the NDA candidates for all five assembly seats.”
On being asked about the BJP’s claim on the assembly seats for by-election, the party’s spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “NDA is a united force in Bihar and bound to sweep the by- election in all five assembly and lone parliamentary seat. It doesn't matter who will contest which seat but NDA parties will unitedly outvote the grand alliance candidates."
LJP state president and MP Pashupati Kumar Paras said, “Paswan’s son Prince has already begun campaigning in Samastipour area for the last one month. Prince is bound to get sympathy vote as the seat fell vacant after his father’s death.”
In the Grand Alliance too, almost all allies have made up their mind to leave the Samastipur Lok Sabha seat for the Congress which was runner up in 2014 and 2019 general elections. The Congress may also get Kishanganj assembly seat because it was vacated by its former MLA Mohammad Javed after being elected as MP from the Kishanganj Lok Sabha seat.
The actual tug of war among the GA partners is over the rest four assembly seats. The situation in the grand alliance became trickier on Saturday after the RJD’s spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari staked claim over four seats on the plea that Lalu Prasad’s party had been runner-up from Simri Bakhtiarpur, Daraunda, Nathnagar and Belhar seats in 2010 assembly election. “Today’s political polarization is similar to 2010 assembly elections. Hence, seat should be allocated on the basis of the party’s performance in 2010,” Tiwari told TOI. However, he hastened to add that senior GA leaders would sit together and solve the issue of seat distribution in coming days.
The Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM(S) has staked its claim on Kishanganj and Nathnagar seats. But insiders in the GA said, Manjhi’s party has made claim just for the sake of claim.
Congress incharge for Bihar Shakti Sinh Gohil had already said that his party would not leave its claim form Samastipur Lok Sabha and Kishanganj assembly seat.
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