PATNA: BJP spokesperson
Syed Shahnawaz Hussain
, who had unsuccessfully contested from
Bhagalpur
in the last Lok Sabha polls, on Saturday blamed the party’s ally and
Bihar CM
Nitish Kumar for “taking his seat”.
Bhagalpur has gone to JD(U) as per the seat-sharing arrangement among NDA partners. In a series of tweets,
Shahnawaz
said: “I will not be contesting from Bhagalpur this time. As part of NDA alliance in Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) has taken my seat along with seats of six sitting MPs of BJP. However, I will work hard for the party in Lok Sabha Elections.”
Shahnawaz, a two-time MP who lost to RJD’s Shailesh Kumar in 2014 he last polls.
Though he expressed displeasure over not getting a ticket, Shahnawaz expressed loyalty to BJP, saying: “My party has always kept faith in me and previously given me tickets in six Lok Sabha elections. I may not be contesting elections this time but will put in all my efforts to once again make @narendramodi ji the PM of our great nation.”
BJP sources said the reason behind giving away Bhagalpur seat to JD(U) was the factional feud between Shahnawaz and Buxar MP
Ashwini Kumar Choubey. “There was strong infighting between Shahnawaz and Choubey for Bhagalpur seat. It was found in the internal survey that the party may suffer if Bhagalpur seat was given to either of the two as the supporters of the other may create a rift. Thus, it was decided to give away the seat to JD(U),” said a senior functionary of Bihar BJP.
Shahnawaz is the second senior Bihar BJP man after Giriraj Singh to express displeasure over seat-sharing arrangement with the allies. Giriraj had expressed discontentment earlier this week over giving away his
Nawada
seat to LJP.
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