RJD, RLSP on collision course over Purvi Champaran seat

PATNA: Though top Grand Alliance leaders in Bihar claim they have almost finalized the seat-sharing arrangements for the coming general election, insiders say Lalu Prasad’s RJD and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP are on a virtual collision course over Purvi Champaran (Motihari) Lok Sabha seat, which is presently represented by Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh.
While the RJD is staking its claim on the plea that it is its traditional seat and the party had in all recent parliamentary elections been fielding its candidate from there, the RLSP leadership wants it for its national spokesperson Madhaw Anand.
RJD sources said senior leaders of Grand Alliance met in New Delhi on Tuesday to give final touches to the seat sharing for 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. But it could not be finalized as both RJD and the RLSP staked their claim on Purvi Champaran seat. Similarly, Congress and Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) have staked their claims on Darbhanga seat. Madhepura too has more than one claimant.
Insiders say Kushwaha has staked claim on Purvi Champaran, Ujiyarpur, Sitamarhi and his own Karakat seats. In Purvi Champaran, RLSP’s Anand has been campaigning since December last year and telling people that the seat had already been allotted to his party.
Contacted over phone, Anand said during an RLSP’s roadshow in Motihari on January 13, Kushwaha had openly told mediapersons that the RLSP would contest the Purvi Champaran seat. “Again on February 22, Kushwaha repeated that the RLSP would contest from Purvi Champaran as part of seat-sharing among the GA,” Anand said.
Traditionally, RJD has been fielding its candidate against the BJP from this seat. RJD’s nominee Akhilesh Prasad Singh had even won the 2004 Lok Sabha election from there. In 2014, the party fielded Binod Kumar Shrivastava.
Insiders say top grand alliance leaders had initially agreed to spare Darbhanga for Sahni. But now, after Kirti Azad in its fold, the Congress wants the seat.
Former Union minister Sharad Yadav and JAP-L patron Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav have staked claims on Madhepura seat. Congress wants to field Pappu from Madhepura if he formally joins the grand old party.