Bihar and Jharkhand News

Congress' Pappu Yadav and RJD's Bima Bharti (File Photo: IANS)

Patna, March 28 (IANS) RJD's Bima Bharti and Congress' Pappu Yadav are adamant about contesting the Lok Sabha election from Bihar's Purnea constituency, aggravating the difficulties for the two INDIA bloc partners.

Bima Bharti, who recently quit the JD-U, on Wednesday claimed that the RJD has given her the ticket from the Purnea seat while Pappu Yadav is saying that he will be contesting from the seat at "any cost". The RJD, however, has not officially announced the name of the candidate for the Purnea seat.

"The party has given me the ticket on the same day when I joined the RJD. I will file the nomination on April 3. I am thankful to my party's national president Lalu Prasad Yadav and brother Tejashwi Yadav. I also have the blessings of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi," Bharti told media persons in Purnea.

Bima Bharti, a turncoat JD-U MLA from Purnea's Rupauli assembly constituency, is yet to resign from the legislative assembly.

When asked about Pappu Yadav, Bima Bharti said: "He is my elder brother. He is a leader of the INDIA bloc in Bihar. I request him to support me as an elder brother and leader of our alliance."

Pappu Yadav, who recently merged his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress, said, "I would rather die but not leave Purnea and the Congress party. I will contest from this seat as the candidate of INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha election."