Amid the ongoing controversy regarding candidate selection in Janata Dal United (JD(U)) for the assembly elections, party MP Ajay Kumar Mandal has expressed his deep displeasure by writing a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday. Alleging arbitrariness in ticket distribution, Mandal has warned of resigning from the post of MP and has sought permission from the Chief Minister to resign.
Bhagalpur MP Ajay Mandal has written in his letter that he has been serving the organization and the public for the last 20-25 years and he has always treated the party like a family. He said that in recent months, such decisions are being taken in the organization which are not a good sign for the party and its future.
He alleged that despite being a local MP, no advice was being taken from him in the process of ticket distribution in the assembly elections. Mandal said, “The issue of giving tickets to persons who have never worked for the party organization is coming to the fore, while the opinion of the district president and local leadership is being completely ignored.”
Mandal claimed that in the constituency from where he became MP in 2019, JD(U) had won the by-election under his leadership, which is a proof of his loyalty to the party. He said that now some people from the party are distributing tickets in his own Lok Sabha constituency and they are not even being given the opportunity to give their opinion.
The MP wrote in the letter, “When the opinion of the dedicated workers in the organization and the local leadership no longer has any importance, then the justification for me to continue on the post of MP ceases to exist.” He said that his aim is not to create any kind of protest but to save the party and the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from possible harm in future. Mandal requested that he be allowed to resign from the post of MP.
This dispute within JD(U) has come to the fore at a time when voices of dissatisfaction are already being heard in the NDA regarding seat distribution. Former party MLA Jai Kumar Singh also resigned on Monday, alleging irregularities in ticket distribution.