RLSP announces first list of candidates

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) led by union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Monday released its first list of 17 candidates for the coming Bihar assembly polls.

The RLSP also expressed displeasure with the BJP over its third list of candidates released on Sunday.

"I strongly object to the third list released by the BJP on Sunday. We were kept in the dark while the Minapur assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district was allotted to one of the family members of the sitting BJP MLA," Kushwaha told reporters here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which on Sunday announced another 11 candidates in its third list of candidates, has fielded Ajay Kushwaha from Minapur.

In the last assembly elections, Dinesh Kushwaha won from Minapur on a Janata Dal-United ticket but rebelled against the party and joined the BJP in August.

"We wanted the seat for one of our founding members but categorically said that the RLSP won't have any problem if the ticket is given to the sitting MLA. We were assured by the BJP leadership that the ticket will be given only to the sitting MLA but the party on Sunday fielded one of his family members," Kushwaha said.

The minister said he would soon meet BJP president Amit Shah and discuss the issue.

The RLSP has fielded Lalan Paswan from Chenari, Ashok Verma from Kurtha, S.S. Thakur from Dhamdaha, Vaidyanath Kushwaha from Hoshiarpur and Ram Bihari Singh from Dumraon.

According to the seat-sharing agreement among the National Democratic Alliance allies, the RLSP has been allotted 23 seats.

The BJP would contest 160 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, the Lok Janshakti Party 40 seats and Hindustani Awam Morcha 20 seats.

Bihar will have five-phase elections between October 12 and November 5, with counting of votes slated for November 8.