Bettiah (Bihar), Mar 22: Noted film-maker Prakash Jha has decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Bettiah Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate to 'bring the light of development in this backward area of Bihar'.
"I want to pay back to the land where I was born. I know power is required for undertaking development work and that is why I have decided to plunge into electoral politics for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden of this backward area," he said on Monday before setting out on a mass contact programme in Chanpatia and Pakhna Bazar area of the constituency.

As he had no faith in any of the political parties, Jha said, he decided to contest as an independent from Bettiah, his home constituency in west Champaran district.

"RJD is in power in the state for a long time and Bettiah had a BJP MP in the dissolved Lok Sabha. But the area remained undeveloped," Jha, the maker of offbeat films like 'Damul', 'Mrityudand' and 'Gangajal', said.
Jha said he had tried to highlight the ills of the society through his movies and now decided to enter into electoral politics to bring some 'solid' socio-economic change in the society.

The noted film-maker is a native of Barharwa village under Chanpatia block, around 8 km from the district headquarters.

Jha said besides contesting the coming parliamentary polls, he had a plan to launch a regional party by the next assembly election for all round development of Bihar and his home town in particular.
Bureau Report