LS polls: Giriraj finds Begusarai ‘bond’

BEGUSARAI: The electoral temperature on this highly charged parliamentary constituency has started soaring since BJP candidate Giriraj Singh landed here on Friday. The firebrand Hindutva chief introduced campaign in his own inimitable style towards his rival and former JNU scholars’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar of CPI.

Given the sturdy political beliefs of Giriraj and Kanhaiya, the competition is billed as a clash between two ideologies. RJD’s Tanveer Hassan, who had lost to BJP’s late Bhola Singh in 2014 general election through over 60,000 votes, is prone to make it a triangular contest. Begusarai would have polling in the fourth segment on April 29. The remaining date for filing of nomination papers is April nine.

Amid chanting of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ through his supporters, Giriraj first offered prayers at Simaria Kali Mandir after which met birthday party employees and supporters at Begusarai. Kanhaiya has already hit the campaign path with a group of JNU alumni as well as dalit chief Jignesh Mevani (MLA) from Gujarat.

Taking be aware of the Gujarat MLA’s campaigning for Kanhaiya, Giriraj tweeted, “What is Jignesh doing in Begusarai? Didn’t he thrash Biharis in Gujarat and bothered their sisters and mothers. Please ask this query to him (Jignesh), wherever you to find him.”

Kanhaiya says Giriraj is not any problem to him. “He (Giriraj) is an interloper and I'm a son of soil,” he told mediapersons and alleged that PM Narendra Modi used to be bent on eroding the Constitution. “I'm in the fray for the recovery of constitutional values,” he added.

Giriraj countered Kanhaiya at his first election assembly as NDA nominee on Saturday. “My political identity belongs to Begusarai, a place with which I have been related for nearly 25 years. Anyway, I belong to Barahiya, however have deep social and cultural bonding with Begusarai.”

Alok Kumar, a neighborhood BJP employee, said Giriraj visited Kanhaiya’s village at Bihat on Friday to counter his price that he used to be an “outsider”.

Both Giriraj and Kanhaiya had been busy finalizing ballot methods. “For the remaining three days, the point of interest has been on finalizing ballot strategy and to mobilize floor degree employees. On Friday, there used to be a gathering of the CPI district committee. Kanhaiya used to be additionally present,” Amin Hamza of All India Students Federation (AISF) said, including the campaign would get into complete swing in the subsequent couple of days. Prominent Left leaders, theatre artistes and celebrities, together with lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Shabana Azmi, are anticipated to campaign for Kanhaiya.

While the campaign is but to realize momentum, observers have started airing their views. “Kanhaiya is an alumnus of JNU. He is also charged with a sedition case in the JNUSU incident. Given the prevailing floor truth, RJD’s Tanveer Hassan is in contest and enjoys massive local minority group fortify. Besides, he is standard in other segments of the area people,” said J P Sharma, associate professor of political science at local G D College. He known as the Left parties “a spent pressure”.

But Zikrullah Khan, an assistant professor of economics on the identical school, held a opposite view. “Kanhaiya is younger and trained. Candidates like him would contribute to meaningful parliamentary debates. The minorities have been carefully gazing him. Besides, RJD has no long run as Lalu is tainted and serving jail sentence,” he said.