Patna: Rift surfaces in the RJD-LJP combine
after seven months of the alliance suffering serious drubbing
at the hands of ruling NDA in assembly polls in Bihar, with
the alliance failing to reach an agreement on supporting the
candidate for the Purnia assembly bypoll.
Both the RJD and LJP decided against contesting the
bypoll and have rather decided to support a secular candidate
keeping in mind the winnability factor.
Souring relations between the two opposition parties in
Bihar surfaced yesterday with the RJD leaders Ramchandra Purve
and Abdul Bari Siddiqui unilaterally announcing to support the
CPI-M nominee Amit Sarkar, son of slain CPI-M MLA Ajit Sarkar,
in the June 25 bypoll to Purnia assembly.
Leader of the opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui said
that RJD`s decision to support the CPI-M candidate was solely
a party decision and efforts to contact the LJP leadership on
the issue had proved futile.
"We have had no talks with LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on
the issue," he said. Siddiqui said the party`s decison to
support the CPI-M was taken to check a division of secular
votes in the bypolls in a bid to defeat the NDA nominee.
However, the RJD`s bid to check the division of
secular votes might not fructify as it`s alliance partner LJP
is apparently keen on spoorting the congress candidate, Ram
Charitra Yadav who bagged 40000 votes in the last polls and if
that happens it would be a signal of the LJP closing in with
the Congress in the coming days.
PTI
