Vinay Kumar
Patna: The INDIA bloc continues to grapple with mounting internal friction, which is beginning to derail its election campaign in Bihar as the filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase of closes on Monday. Some seats have witnessed INDIA bloc partners fielding candidates against each other and none of them withdrew their nominations even on Sunday. Meanwhile, the RJD and Congress have so far not stepped in to quell the dispute, sending a worrying signal to voters.In contrast, the NDA campaign is in full swing. Union minister Amit Shah has returned to Delhi after a three-day tour while union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is currently camping in Bihar. The chief ministers of Goa, Haryana and Tripura have addressed rallies in various parts of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his Bihar poll campaign from Samastipur on Oct 24.“The INDIA bloc leaders need to sit together and tell the people that ‘we are united’ and there is no conflict among us,” Congress MP from Katihar Tariq Anwar told TOI on Sunday, acknowledging the impact of the internal discord. “But we hope everything will be over by Monday, the last date for filing nominations for the second phase. There must not be any scope for a friendly fight,” he added.Despite the mounting tension, top INDIA bloc leaders have been largely absent from the campaign trail. RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, perceived as the opposition’s CM face, remains in Patna, chalking out strategy at home, while there is no clarity on the campaign plans of Congress leaders such as leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi.However, state RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan sought to downplay the concerns. “Tejashwi will embark on a poll campaign after Diwali. Every party in the INDIA bloc wants him to campaign for their candidates. Although Tejashwi has filed his nominations from the Raghopur seat, he is, in fact, contesting elections on all 243 seats of Bihar,” Gagan said.Meanwhile, denial of tickets has triggered dramatic protests across the state. Candidates have been seen rolling on the ground, tearing their kurtas, crying bitterly before the camera and threatening to teach lessons to official nominees. The chaos comes just a fortnight before the first phase of polling on Nov 6.In Patna, RJD leader Madan Shah, seeking a ticket from the Madhuban seat, broke down outside the 10,Circular Road residence of former CM Rabri Devi, tearing his kurta in despair. “Lalu ji promised a ticket from the Madhuban seat, but it was given to someone else. I will die… Can’t bear the pain,” he shouted.Another aspirant, Usha Devi, cried bitterly before the reporters outside Rabri’s residence. “I have been associated with the RJD for the past 20 years and have been the torchbearer of the party in the region, but the ticket went to someone else… This is heart-breaking, but I will still campaign for the RJD,” she said, describing RJD chief Lalu Prasad as a “father figure.”In Gopalganj, former RJD legislator Reyazul Haq Raju broke down during a live online session, expressing anguish over not receiving a party ticket while three-time Congress legislator from Kasba in Purnia district, Afaque Alam, accused party leaders of demanding money in exchange for tickets.“The state unit of Congress has now become hostage in the hands of ‘personal brokers of some leaders’. Ground-level workers who have been struggling for the party for years are being ignored for tickets while outsiders have a field day,” Alam alleged on Sunday.
