Bihar elections: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav may campaign against own party symbol in Gaura Bauram seat

PATNA: Confusion in the INDIA bloc has taken a bizarre turn in Darbhanga’s Gaura Bauram seat where RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav may end up campaigning against a candidate contesting on his own party’s symbol.

Due to unresolved seat-sharing disputes, RJD’s Afzal Ali Khan filed his nomination from Gaura Bauram with the party’s lantern symbol before the alliance finalised its pact giving the seat to Mukesh Sahani’s VIP. When asked to withdraw, Afzal refused, leaving RJD with no option but to inform poll authorities it no longer endorses him, though his candidature remains valid.




The RJD initially allocated the symbol to Khan on Oct 16, ahead of the final seat distribution. Later that same evening, the seat was transferred to VIP, which chose Santosh Sahani as its candidate. Sources said Khan was then asked to return the symbol. Ignoring the instruction, he switched off his phone and filed his nomination on Oct 17, the last day for nominations for the first phase of elections. Santosh also submitted his nomination on the final day, creating a highly unusual electoral scenario.

Following this confusion, RJD chief Lalu Prasad wrote to the chief election officer on Oct 18, stating that Gaura Bauram had gone to VIP and that the RJD had decided not to field any candidate on the lantern symbol. The authorities, however, said they cannot remove Khan from the race considering he has filed his nomination with proper documentation.

VIP national vice-president Anand Madhukar said, “Lalu made it very clear that VIP’s candidate was the candidate of the INDIA alliance. He even wrote to the election officer to cancel Khan’s nomination. But the official did not do so in order to create confusion.”

Madhukar added that the VIP would now approach the court to resolve the issue.

RJD MLC and national chief general secretary of the youth wing, Qari Sohaib, described Khan as a rebel, accusing him of deceiving the party. “The party asked him not to do so and even offered the Ali Nagar seat. On the other hand, Khan assured us he would not be contesting on the RJD symbol. But he cheated the party,” said Sohaib.

When asked about reports that senior RJD leaders, including Tejashwi, were campaigning for the VIP candidate against the candidate with the RJD symbol, Sohaib said, “He is not an RJD candidate, rather a rebel. What he did was via cheating, and we do not consider him to be the party’s candidate.”