New Delhi:
The Mahagathbandhan experiment appears to have failed in Bihar as RJD, HAM and VIP decided to field their own candidates for the bypolls in the state. The Grand Alliance which was formed to counter NDA in Bihar is on the verge of decline for the second consecutive time after it failed to garner support in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Bihar will go to the bypolls for five seats on October 21. The constituency which will go to polls are Daraunda, Nathnagar, Simari Bakhtiarpur, Kishanganj. Polls will also be held on Samastipur Lok Sabha constituency as the seat fell vacant after the death of Ram Chandra Paswan.
RJD has fielded Rabiya Khatoon from Nathanagr constituency, Ramdev Yadav from Belhar assembly and Zafar Alam from Simri Bakhtiarpur seat. After RJD decided to field its candidate from the respective constituencies, HAM founder Jitan Ram Manjhi selected Ajay Rai as his party’s candidate from Nathnagar. Manjhi also accused RJD of ‘helping the BJP in the name of fighting it’.
"After five assembly segments fell vacant in the state, we had initially wished to contest Kishanganj and Nathdwara. I had even spoken about this to Tejashwi Yadav (RJD heir apparent). However, taking into consideration the fact that Kishanganj was a sitting seat of the Congress 'our alliance partner' we have forgone our claim on the same," Manjhi had told reporters.
The Grand Alliance, which had come into being after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU tied up with the RJD-Congress combine in 2015 now comprises RJD, Congress and HAM besides former Union minister Upendra Kushwahas RLSP and Bollywood set designer turned politician Mukesh Sahnis VIP.
