Lok Sabha polls: RJD stakes claim on Katihar in fresh face-off with ally Cong
RJD claims Katihar seat despite Congress's announcement. Former RJD MP Asfaque Karim to file nomination, sparking tension in Bihar opposition alliance.
The confrontation between allies RJD and Congress, which started over Purnea Lok Sabha seat, seems to have spilled over to neighbouring Katihar seat as well.
Soon after the Congress on Tuesday announced the name of former MP Tariq Anwar as its Katihar candidate, RJD staked its claim on the seat, despite the fact that it’s one of the nine seats allotted to Congress as part of the seat-sharing deal in the opposition alliance in Bihar.
Former RJD Rajya Sabha MP, Asfaque Karim, went ahead and announced he would file his nomination for Katihar in a few days.
RJD general secretary Samarendra Kunal told HT on phone, “We are sure our leader Asfaque Karim will file his nomination papers on April 4 on the last day of nomination for the second phase of LS polls. Karim would win the seat by a huge margin.”
Meanwhile, Congress has named Kishanganj MP Mohammad Jawed as its candidate for the seat and Ajeet Sharma as its Bhagalpur candidate.
As a joint press conference of Mahagathbandhan in Patna on March 29, senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui had announced the seat sharing pact, as per which Katihar and Kishanganj had gone to Congress.
Congress leaders refused to react to RJD’s sudden claim on Katihar.
Tariq Anwar could not be contacted as his mobile phone was found switched off.
JD(U) has fielded its sitting MP Dulal Chandra Goswami from Katihar and he has already filed his nomination.
Seemanchal in eastern Bihar with four parliamentary constituencies. In 2019, JD(U) had won two seats (Purnea and Katihar) and Congress and BJP one each, Kishanganj and Araria, respectively.
Recommended Topics