Patna: Lalu kept all the winnable seats for RJD and generously gave away the left-overs to Congress and NCP. In the process, Congress got 12 seats and NCP one while RJD retains 27. Madhubani was one of the contentious seats and to ensure that his flock is united, especially after the drama over 13 RJD MLAs breaking away, Lalu remained adamant.
Congress General Secretary Shakil Ahmed was eyeing Madhubani but now he is not keen on contesting from another seat. But the party did manage to get Sasaram and Kishanganj, the two seats it won in 2009.
Lalu has left Aurangabad for former Delhi Police Commissioner Nikhil Kumar, who resigned as Kerala Governor to fight elections. The RJD also secured two more seats preferred by the Congress. Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary and MLA Sadanand Singh had to leave Jamui and Bhagalpur to ensure the alliance.
While Lalu is hopeful that his jail term in a fodder scam case has generated sympathy among his core vote bank of Yadavs and Muslims, he is also eyeing the upper castes after allying with the Congress, although the Grand Old Party is a spent force in the state.
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