The Hindu : Other States / Bihar News : Ticket seekers throng party offices

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

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Other States - Bihar

Ticket seekers throng party offices

PATNA, DEC. 30. With Bihar Assembly election round the corner, political party offices in the State Capital are being flooded by ticket seekers.

The three- phased state Assembly polls are scheduled on February 3, 15 and 23.

The ruling RJD office was one of the most sought after place for prospective candidates, aspiring to contest elections. Altogether 400 application forms were sold out at the RJD office within two hours of opening of its counter yesterday. The LJP was also not behind the race and had collected nearly 600 forms for 243 assembly Segments in the state.

A donation box had also been installed in the RJD office for such people who wanted to donate. A sum of Rs three lakh was deposited in the RJD kitty on the first day itself as each ticket seeker doled out Rs 5,000 with a view to get party ticket.

Altogether 60 candidates had applied for party tickets yesterday. The last date for filing application forms at RJD office had been fixed on January 3. Even ministers and MLAs had to deposit forms with fees for becoming RJD candidates. Application forms are being sold at Rs 10 per form.

Meanwhile, the state parliamentary board of the JD(U) has constituted panels of names for each of the 243 assembly seats in Bihar. The board had already prepared a list of the probable candidates, and will submit it to the party`s central parliamentary board tomorrow.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Upendra Prasad Kushwaha said the panels consisted two to five names. The final decision would be taken by the central parliamentary board led by Sharad Yadav.

The JD(U) had decided to give tickets to all its sitting MLAs and also those who were at second position in the last Assembly elections of 2000.

The Congress had appointed an observer and an assistant observer for each district to prepare a list of the probable candidates for each assembly segment.

Samajwadi Party, which had performed well in the last Lok Sabha election, was a constituent of the eight-party third front that was recently formed. The Bahujan Samaj Party had already stated its intention of contesting all the 243 seats.

The BSP had won five seats in the last Assembly election but almost all its MLAs shifted their loyalties to the RJD with a few of them becoming ministers. -- UNI

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