Test for Sharad's 'development politics'

MADHEPURA: JD(U) national president and party candidate from Madhepura parliamentary constituency Sharad Yadav, who takes pride in pursuing
issue-based politics for development of Bihar, is pitted against RJD's candidate Ravindra Charan Yadav, a former minister, who is resorting to caste politics to corner a large number of votes of the Yadavs who dominate this constituency.

The Kosi floods and the state govrnment's role in providing relief and rehabilitation are the issues being raised by RJD and others who are charging the Nitish Kumar government with failing to handle the crisis.

Congress candidate Taranand Sada, a university teacher, is making strong efforts to woo Brahmin and Muslim votes. After delimitation, the number of Brahmin voters has increased in this parliamentary constituency.

Independent candidate Kishore Kumar Munna, an Independent MLA from Sonbarsa, is banking on the works done by him during the Kosi floods to woo the voters. He is also reminding the voters of his struggle against the ban on export of maize. Munna, whose presence has made it a multi-cornered contest, describes himself as "Kosi putra".

The constituency had witnessed three straight contests between RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Sharad with the former winning in 1998 and 2004 and the latter in 1999. Sharad had first won Madhepura seat in 1991.

The claim of Lalu that the Nitish government had spent only that fund which was released by the Centre for flood relief and rehabilitation is being echoed by Ravindra and his supporters.

In Mithaibazar village market on the national highway, villager Ram Deo Yadav said that it was due to Lalu's efforts that the Kosi floods had been declared a national calamity. This view is shared by his co-villagers.

Praising the relief measures taken by the Nitish government, Chamru Paswan, said that he and other beneficiaries, would vote for Sharad, as the Nitish government had helped people in their hours of crisis by providing grain and money in two instalments. "The development works undertaken by the state government would help Sharad win this poll," said Shankar Banerjee.

Meanwhile, Congress has launched a whispering campaign that Brahmins and Muslims would vote for Sada. In Masjid Bazar locality in Madhepura town, which is dominated by Muslims, Abdul Sagoor and others said, "We had given chance to RJD and NDA but since they failed to deliver we will give a chance to Congress."

Source: Times of India