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Journalism of Courage
As always,caste equation is sure to play a major role in the coming Bihar elections if the candidate lists of parties are taken into account. The latest to jump on to the caste bandwagon is the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
A day after the RJD dug out its old Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) formula,alliance partner LJPs list of 58 candidates worked out a new combination of Dalit-Muslim and Upper castes (DMU).
At the same time,LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan gave enough suggestions of all in the family by fielding brother and deputy CM nominee Pashupati Kumar Paras from his seat Alauli in Khagaria. Another younger brother and former MP Ramchandra Paswan will contest from Kusheshwar Sthan.
Paswan,while retaining most of his sitting MLAs,has got 17 upper caste,13 Dalit and 10 Muslim candidates in the fray. Overall,LJP will contest 75 seats. Two of its sitting MLAs had joined the NDA.
While tickets to Dalit and Muslim candidates does not surprise anyone,preference to upper caste candidates shows how much the LJP chief banks on upper caste voters disenchanted with the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government.
The LJP has fielded Sonam Devi,wife of convicted leader Nalini Ranjan alias Lalan Singh,against Mokama strongman,JD-U MLA Anant Singh. Sonam Devi is a shadow candidate of another convicted LJP leader Surah Bhan Singh. The war of words in the battle of bahubalis has started with Anant Singh and Lalan Singh using harsh words against each other. Araria LJP MLA Jakir Hussain,who led the party into BJP fortress Simanchal in the 2009 September by-poll,will have to fight hard to save his seat. Alauli,where Paras is fielded,will be another battle of prestige for the RJD-LJP deputy CM nominee. Three defectors have also got LJP tickets.
