Delhi polls: Bihar political parties eager to contest

With less than a month to go for Delhi Assembly elections, various local parties of Bihar are eyeing votes of the people of Purvanchal in Delhi and are ready to enter the electoral fray in the national capital.

The Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which is part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, has announced to contest the elections alone in Delhi.

The main opposition party in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has also said that it will contest the elections in Delhi. It, however, is hoping to fight in alliance with the Congress on the lines of Jharkhand.

The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), the party of Bihar’s former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, has devised a strategy to show some strength in Delhi’s electoral ground.

According to JD-U General Secretary K.C. Tyagi, the party is preparing to fight in at least 30 to 35 seats. He said the party supporters are already there and preparations for the elections have been going on for several months.

Tyagi made it clear that there will be no alliance with anyone in Delhi.

The party has entrusted Bihar Water Resources Minister Sanjay Jha with the responsibility of this election.

The JD(U) is hoping to get a few seats here as a large number of people from Purvanchal are settled in Delhi. Recently, the party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a rally in Delhi’s Badarpur area.

Sanjay Jha says Nitish Kumar’s work in Bihar is also appreciated in Delhi, which will have an impact. He said that the number of seats to be contested has not yet been decided.

The RJD, which is leading the opposition party in Bihar, has also made up its mind to find a foothold in the national capital. The RJD has said it will field its candidates in at least 12 seats, but at the same time the party is also confident of forging an alliance with the Congress.

RJD spokesperson and MP Manoj Jha said: “The party leadership has got the green signal to contest the Delhi Assembly elections. The party has decided to field candidates on about a dozen seats.”

Manjhi’s party may have suffered major defeats in Bihar and Jharkhand earlier, but is preparing to try its luck at Delhi’s electoral battleground.

HAM’s spokesperson Danish Rizwan says the party has made up its mind to enter the Delhi’s electoral fray, and is looking for good candidates.

Assembly elections in Delhi will be held on February 8 and counting of votes will take place on February 11.