Now trouble in RJD-Congress picture, starring Pappu Yadav, Kanhaiya Kumar

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress are stuck over seat-sharing talks in Bihar, with at least three senior Congress leaders expressing unhappiness with the senior Mahagathbandhan member for unilaterally deciding on candidates for four seats going to polls in the first phase on April 19. There is also unhappiness in the RJD about the Congress’s decision to include former party MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, in the party.

Both Congress and RJD insiders said the Lalu Prasad-led party was not willing to give Congress more than five to six seats as against its demand of more than 10 tickets. In 2019, while the RJD contested 19 constituencies, Congress candidates were in the fray from nine. The rest of the seats went to the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) of Upendra Kushwaha, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Sahani, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) of Jitan Ram Manjhi.

The RJD on Thursday announced candidates for Aurangabad (Abhay Kushwaha), Nawada (Shravan Kushwaha), Gaya (Kumar Sarvajeet), and Jamui (Archana Ravidas). While the Congress had been asking for Aurangabad for former MP Nikhil Kumar, it was also expecting Begusarai for All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar, who was the runner-up in the seat five years ago as a CPI nominee. This time, former MLA Awadhesh Rai of the CPI will contest from Begusarai.

At least three senior Congress leaders, including Nikhil Kumar, expressed dissatisfaction with the RJD for “not adhering to coalition dharma”. Kumar, 82, said if the Congress’s alliance with the RJD “fell apart” it would be a great loss for “regional parties”.

“Coalition dharma is being violated. Tickets are being distributed by (by the RJD)