JD-U leaders protest LS tickets to new entrants

A group of Janata Dal-United leaders in Bihar, unhappy over the party's move to name new entrants as candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, Thursday met party chief Sharad Yadav to express their displeasure.

"We met Sharad Yadav and protested the way the party has given tickets to new entrants to contest the Lok Sabha polls, ignoring party leaders and workers who have been working for years," a JD-U leader said.

Bihar Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh, Transport Minister Brishen Patel and JD-U parliamentarians Vishwamohan Kumar and Ashwamegh Devi were part of the delegation.

Narendra Singh said the party should not give tickets to people who defected from other parties.

"We should welcome new entrants in the party but they should not be given tickets to contest polls soon after they joined JD-U," he said.

Patel said there are several capable candidates in the party.

"Such party leaders should be identified and given the opportunity instead of new entrants," he said.

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the names filmmaker Prakash Jha from Bettiah seat and Avanish Singh, who quit the BJP and joined JD-U, from Motihari.