Patna (Bihar) [India], October 20 : Independent MP Pappu Yadav on Monday refuted claims that he was "lobbying" for another candidate from the Kasba assembly constituency, ahead of next month's Bihar polls, stating that he did not have power to make such decisions and that the Congress party runs on principles and works with discipline.
Speaking to reporters here, Yadav said that Congress was "disgruntled" with sitting Kasba MLA Md Afaque Alam in 2014 after reports of him cross-voting in Rajya Sabha bypolls. He added that Congress has mostly fielded candidates who are not financially well-off.
"If I were the one to decide... wouldn't I have gotten one seat? Congress runs on ideals and is a principled party. It has discipline. When these people (Afaque Alam) did cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha (bypolls), Congress was disgruntled. The worker who has been given the ticket doesn't have any land. Congress, in most places, has distributed tickets to workers who are poor. Look at Manoj Vishwas, Subodh Mandal," said Yadav, who is an Independent MP from Purnia Lok Sabha constituency.
Congress has fielded Md Irfan Alam as its candidate from Kasba assembly constituency, instead of sitting MLA Md Afaque Alam. Yadav's response came after he was asked about a purported statement made by Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram in a viral audio clip, where he alleged that Pappu Yadav was lobbying for another candidate.
On the seat-sharing issue in Mahagathbandhan, Yadav said, "Double candidates have been fielded in 12 places, does this make an alliance work? Is this how things are going to work? The way tickets have been distributed is completely wrong."
"I am saying again and again that bring back the alliance. The alliance is being weakened. Who is behind this? Tickets are being distributed until morning. I consider this wrong. Only Congress is following the alliance dharma. Congress has tried to focus on extremely backward classes, SC-ST," he added.
Polling for all 243 assembly seats in Bihar will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results set to be declared on November 14.
Meanwhile, signalling confusion and tussles within the alliance, the opposition Mahagathbandhan, even on Sunday, failed to announce the seat-sharing pact for the Bihar assembly polls.
The last date to file nominations for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly Election is Monday (October 20). It also marks the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, covering 121 constituencies.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has already announced that the party will go solo in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The announcement came after the Mahagathbandhan, which includes RJD and Congress, failed to seal a pact for the first phase of the Bihar polls, with the nomination process ending on Friday.
Congress has released its second list amid the ongoing Mahagathbandhan seat-sharing crisis on Saturday. On October 17, the Congress party released its first list of 48 candidates for the assembly poll.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) shared a seat distribution list, and the party has already begun its groundwork across key constituencies.
The BJP has announced its candidates on all 101 seats allotted in the NDA's arrangement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to kickstart his election campaign from October 24.