NDA yet to finalise star campaigners

PATNA: State BJP chief Nityanand Rai on Saturday launched his party’s poll campaign for the byelection to Araria parliamentary and Jehanabad and Bhabhua assembly seats though a decision on the NDA’s star campaigners is yet to be taken.

The byelection is to be held on March 11. The BJP has fielded former MP Pradip Kumar Singh from Araria and Rinki Pandey from Bhabhua, while the JD(U) candidate for the Jehanabad seat is former MLA Abhiram Sharma.

On Sunday, Rai and other party workers listened to PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ on radio at Jehanabad, said a state BJP leader.

“CM Nitish Kumar has just returned from his Japan visit. We have heard he will campaign, but it is not clear if he will stump just for the JD (U) candidate or also for the two BJP candidates,” said a JD (U) leader.

The state NDA’s senior leaders had accompanied the JD (U) and BJP candidates when they filed their nomination papers. “It shows the state NDA is united and proactive,” said an aide of Rai.

Earlier, NDA constituents RLSP led by Union minister Upendra Kushwaha and HAM-S led by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi had staked claim on the Jehanabad seat, but the BJP brokered peace between them and asked the JD (U) to contest from Jehanabad.

Asked if Kushwaha would participate in the joint campaign, RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand said the matter would be decided only after an invite to the effect comes.

On Wednesday, BJP national president Amit Shah and Kushwaha had a one-to-one discussion. They talked about several topics, Anand said.