Lalu scions' speedy climb up the RJD ladder ruffles many feathers in Bihar

PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s decision to launch his sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi in electoral politics, from Mahua and Raghopur seats respectively in Vaishali district, has had an impact in the neighbouring Samastipur district as well.

Durga Prasad Singh, one of RJD’s 22 MLAs who got elected to the state assembly despite the Nitish Kumar wave in 2010 polls, quit his party on Thursday and joined the BJP. He was elected from Samastipur’s Ujiyarpur seat. After denying ticket to him, RJD has fielded Alok Mehta, a native of Vaishali’s Mahua constituency from where Prasad’s eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting the upcoming polls.

Now, Durga Prasad Singh is ready to campaign not only in favour of the BJP candidate in his Ujiyarpur seat but also in Mahua and Raghopur where the RJD chief ’s sons are in the fray. "I joined the BJP on the last date of filing the nomination papers in my constituency on June 23. I want to work for my new party," he told ET. He felt he was denied a ticket because the RJD wanted to ensure better caste equations in the constituency.

RJD’s new candidate, Alok Mehta from Ujiyarpur, is son of a veteran socialist and former minister Tulsidas Mehta whose family has political influence in Samastipur and its adjacent areas. The party chief is eyeing Kushwaha votes through Mehta’s family in Mahua and Raghopur. Another MLA, Ajay Bulganin, who had won the by-election from Samastipur’s Mohiuddinagar seat as RJD nominee about a year ago, is now contesting polls as Samajwadi Party nominee from the same seat after RJD denied him ticket.

"Laluji has given ticket to a person who is from a Yadav political family of Vaishali. RJD needs full support from the same family for strengthening the position of Lalu’s two sons," Bulganin said.