Patna: Rebel RJD member Ritu Jaiswal on Thursday wrote an open letter to party leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, alleging there were discrepancies in the nomination filed by its Parihar (Sitamarhi) candidate Smita Gupta. Jaiswal asked the party's top leaders to rethink the candidature of Gupta and extend support to her as an Independent candidate.
The RJD gave a ticket to Gupta, daughter-in-law of senior party leader Ram Chandra Purbey, from Parihar seat, however, Jaiswal, who was the state president of the party’s women wing, was upset with the decision and filed her nomination as an Independent candidate. Jaiswal on Thursday accepted she took the path of rebellion, adding mistakes were made from both sides.
Nontheless, she took to social media and wrote an open letter to Yadav, stating there was misinformation regarding Gupta’s age in the affidavit and her documents. Even though her nomination was not cancelled, it could become a problem in future if it is challenged in court, she added.
Her letter came a day after the RJD backed an Independent candidate from Mohaniya after the nomination of party candidate Shweta Suman was cancelled. Jaiswal wanted the party to work in a similar way and wrote, “If the RJD candidate withdraws her name, and I am declared as a great coalition-backed Independent candidate, this will be proof of your sensitivity towards politically sensible decisions and public. Parihar is watching you with hopeful eyes.”
However, Gupta did not withdraw her nomination on the last day. The RJD state spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan rather criticised Jaiswal for such behaviour and said the latter was not thinking of the party, but about herself. “One has to be 25 years of age as of Jan 1, 2025, in order to file the nomination. And our candidate is fulfilling the criteria.”
Asked if Jaiswal was still with the RJD, Gagan replied, “How can a person be with the party when he or she has decided to contest against the party candidate?”
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