New Delhi: Refuting former home secretary RK Singh's allegation that the distribution of seats for the forthcoming state assembly elections in Bihar was done on the basis of money, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Siddharth Nath Singh on Saturday said that candidates were selected democratically by the central election committee and the parliamentary board.
Singh said that the former bureaucrat's views were his own, and that the party could not be held accountable for it.
"It could be an individual view point, but certainly, there is a process which is a very democratic process in the party, through the central election committee and the parliamentary board. They come together and they decide on the ticket distribution. So, therefore, nobody should be raising questions on the decisions of the central election committee," Singh told ANI.
"My request goes to all BJP leaders in Bihar that please focus on ensuring that there is no jungle raj part 2 and we all together will fight and defeat the opposing alliance, and at the same time, one should also practice restraint," he added.
A similar comment came from another BJP leader Nalin Kohli, who said, "We don't agree with the comment of RK Singh, and it is a personal comment. It doesn't reflect the working style of the party."
Kohli also said that the BJP was not a party which runs on a single family or individuals.
"Anyone who seeks to join the BJP, they only join it because they know it runs on an ideology and democratic system," he added.
Meanwhile, Bihar BJP leader CP Thakur also rejected the claim of RK Singh and said,
"The party president has taken a lot of consideration before the allotment of the seats. Few seats were given to all allies and the BJP had no role in it. There is nothing wrong with the procedure," Thakur added.
RK Singh on Saturday criticised the Bihar unit of the BJP while expressing his dissatisfaction over seat sharing in the state before the assembly polls. He said money was taken for distribution of tickets for the forthcoming elections. Singh accused the party of neglecting sitting MLAs and giving tickets to criminals.
Polls in Bihar will take place from October 12 to November 5. The counting of votes will take place on November 8. The tenure of the current assembly expires on November 29.
