VIP supports candidate of Tej’s party in Sugauli seat

Patna: Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), led by former minister Mukesh Sahani, has extended its support to a Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) candidate, marking an unusual alliance in Bihar’s evolving poll scene. The JJD, headed by former minister Tej Pratap Yadav – the elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad – is contesting independently after Tej Pratap’s expulsion from the RJD over a personal controversy.Curiously, the VIP, whose chief Mukesh Sahani has been projected as a deputy chief ministerial face, is a constituent of the INDIA bloc. The move has drawn attention for highlighting the fluid political alignments in the run-up to the assembly elections.According to informed sources, the VIP had initially fielded Shashi Bhushan Singh, the sitting RJD legislator, from the Sugauli seat in East Champaran, which was allocated to the party under the bloc’s seat-sharing arrangement. However, Singh’s nomination was later cancelled during scrutiny.With the INDIA bloc left without a candidate in Sugauli, the VIP chief subsequently held discussions with JJD candidate Shyam Kishore Choudhary and decided to back him. “We had no option other than supporting the JJD candidate after our candidate’s nomination was cancelled. We could not have given a walkover to the NDA candidate,” VIP spokesperson Dev Jyoti told the reporters.He added the decision was also guided by community solidarity. “We decided to support the JJD candidate since he too belongs to the Mallah community, the same community as our leader, Mukesh Sahani,” Jyoti added. “What’s the problem if a Mallah community candidate reaches the Bihar assembly and raises his voice?” he asked.Reiterating the party’s stance against the ruling alliance, Jyoti said the VIP remains committed to its mission of creating a “BJP-mukt Bihar”.