The list included the clan members of party chief Ram Vilas Paswan, besides relatives of known musclemen of the state.
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The notification for the first phase of polls was issued on Wednesday.
BJP deserves credit for the way it cleverly and delicately managed to strike a balance between dissenting partners in the seat distribution and walk away with the lion’s share of seats itself. With both RJD chieftain Lalu Prasad and chief minister Nitish Kumar seeking, differences in nuances notwithstanding, to revive the Mandal plank in a state where OBCs account for nearly half the electorate, BJP chief Amit Shah has no plan to facilitate a caste polarization.
Another tricky issue is allocation of seats in the Seemanchal region.
The five-phase Assembly elections in the state will be held from October 12 to November 5.
Manjhi displayed the same fighting spirit that held back incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar’s return to the helm earlier this year before he was expelled from the Janata Dal (United) as he engaged in intense bargaining after refusing to settle for 15 seats initially offered to his fledgling party. Former Union minister and BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain could also be a contender.
No Muslim figured in the list which contained names for mostly those seats over which there is unanimity in the party.
Reports said the RJD has laid claims over some 27 sitting seats of the JD-U and also over two dozen seats of the Congress which the latter claim to be its own.
Declaring the first list, LJP Parliamentary Board chairman Chirag Paswan said there was a consensus with BJP and other NDA allies on 29 of the 40 seats, which it was allotted while talks are still on to finalize 11 other seats which his party will contest.
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The problem, as sources from both sides suggested, was the announcement of few seats in Kushwaha’s parliamentary constituency Karakat, including Nokha assembly seat to its leader Rameshwar Chaurasia. Answering a question, Mr Shah said, “The NDA will go to the polls under the leadership of Mr Narendra Modi…we are going to poll under his leadership with the confidence of getting more than two thirds seats in the 243-member assembly”. A RLSP leader said, “Our opposition is not to Chaurasia but the BJP, who has fielded some turncoats from JD(U) and other parties, in areas of our influence without bothering to consult us”.
