Even as the constituents of the RJD-led Grand Alliance have yet to make up their minds due to the rigid seat-sharing stance of all parties, former Bihar Assembly Speaker and veteran Dalit leader Uday Narayan Choudhary said on Saturday that He will surely compete from the Imamganj (Gaya) seat, regardless of whether ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi led by Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) is part of the Grand Alliance or not. In the last Assembly elections, Jitan Ram Manjhi had defeated Uday Narayan Choudhary of Imamganj. Later, Choudhary got into a fight with CM Nitish Kumar and joined RJD.
Uday Narayan Choudhary told The Indian Express: “I have been representing Imamganj traditionally. Now I am in RJD and I would be the party’s candidate from the seat ”. When Manjhi was asked who the seat represents and if he is part of the Grand Alliance he could not give up the only seat in his party, Choudhary said: “He did not care. Let Manjhi still compete with Imamganj. I am ready to settle accounts with him ”.
Choudhary said that although the increasing cases of Covid justified the postponement of the Assembly elections, his party was prepared for the elections. He said: “With the Electoral Commission notifying on Saturday for the local body elections later this month, it suggests that the Assembly elections will be held on time … But we do not want elections in the next two or three months. It will be very insensitive to hold elections. Dealing with Covid crisis and floods has to be the top priority ”.
HAM (S) spokesperson Danish Rizwan said: “Let Uday Narayan Choudhary compete from wherever he wants. You shouldn’t worry about our leader Manjhi. ” When asked if HAM (S) has been in talks with JD (U) and AIMIM, he said: “We will speak at the right time. Let leaders like Choudhary challenge us. ”
RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tewari said: “Uday Narayan Choudhary is a respected leader of our party and he held an important post as Speaker of the Assembly. As for who competes from where it is the top leadership that answers the call at the right time. When asked if Manjhi would continue with the Grand Alliance, Tewary said: “It is difficult to answer. But our party has been attempting a strong Grand Alliance. ”
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