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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) worker Usha Devi staged a protest outside party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's residence in Patna on Sunday after being denied a ticket to contest from the Bodh Gaya constituency in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The polling for Bodh Gaya is scheduled for November 11, during the second phase of the state elections, with the last date for filing nominations set for Monday. Despite her long-standing association with the RJD since she was 17 years old, Devi claimed she was denied a ticket despite repeated assurances from senior party leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav and Khesari Lal Yadav. "I am a party member since I was 17 years old... I visited my village to seek blessings from her parents before heading to Bodh Gaya for election campaigning... Despite all the dedication and assurances from leaders like Khesari Lal and Tejashwi Yadav, I did not get a ticket to contest the MLA election from the Bodh Gaya constituency... I am disappointed but still committed to supporting Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu Yadav," Usha Devi told ANI. The protest comes amid ongoing seat-sharing disputes within the Mahagathbandhan, as the alliance is yet to announce its seat distribution. On Saturday, the Congress party released its second list of candidates, adding five more names and taking its total to 53 after releasing 48 names earlier. Earlier today, former RJD candidate Madan Shah broke down in public, claiming that he was promised a ticket by the Rashtriya Janata Dal for the upcoming 2025 Bihar assembly polls. He alleged that when he did not pay the Rs 2.7 crore demanded for the candidature, his ticket was given to another candidate. Speaking to ANI, Shah also said that the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly was "arrogant". Shah was seen tearing his clothes and falling to the ground, weeping after giving chase to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's car at the latter's residence in Patna. "They will not form the government; Tejashwi is very arrogant, doesn't meet people...They are giving away tickets...Sanjay Yadav is doing all this. Rs 2.7 crore... give that much, we'll give you the ticket. I have come here to die. Lalu Yadav is my Guru...He had said that he would give me a ticket...They gave a ticket to Santosh Kushwaha, a BJP agent...," Shah told ANI. Shah further claimed that the father-son duo of Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav backtracked on their promise to give him a ticket. "In 2020, Lalu ji called me to Ranchi and got a survey done regarding the population of the Teli community, and that Madan Shah will defeat Randhir Singh from Madhuban constituency. Tejashwi ji and Lalu ji had called me and said they would give me a ticket. I have been working for the party since the '90s. I am a poor man, I sold my land," he said. The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results declared on November 14. (ANI)
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