Lok Sabha Elections: Bihar MLA Bima Bharti, who joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal only last week, on Wednesday announced that she has got the party ticket from Purnea Lok Sabha seat and would file her nomination papers next week, as reported by news agency PTI. Bharti, who was formerly with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), also said she expected "blessings of my guardian" Pappu Yadav, who last week merged his Jan Adhikar Party with Congress and has been adamant on contesting from Purnea.
Speaking at a press conference in Purnea, Bharti said "I will be filing my nomination papers on April 3," as quoted by PTI. Purnea goes to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls for which filing of nomination papers will commence on Thursday.
On being questioned when exactly did she get the RJD ticket from Prasad, who has been away in the national capital since last weekend, the former Bihar minister evaded a direct reply. "As soon as I took the membership of RJD, the party supremo, our leader Tejashwi Yadav and Rajmata Rabri Devi made clear that their blessings were with me," she said, as quoted by PTI.
Bharti had joined RJD on March 23, within hours of quitting the JD(U). She had shown her displeasure with the Bihar CM's party last month when she failed to turn up at the assembly while the government was seeking a trust vote.
Bharti said "Pappu Yadav is my senior and my guardian. His party is an RJD ally and I hope he will bless me and even campaign in my favour".
When Yadav was approached for his comments, he said, "I have said it before and shall say it again. There is no power on earth which can stop me from contesting the Purnea seat this time," as quoted by PTI. "It is for the Congress leadership to decide. I am without any fetters (hum na teen mein hain na terah mein)," he further stated.
Pappu Yadav said, "We have come to strengthen the party. We are soldiers of Congress. This is for the leadership to decide, we are among the people. The people of Purnia never separated me from their hearts."
Notably, the RJD has given away tickets to candidates for many seats, a number of these being eyed by the Congress.