NEW DELHI: In an unusual scene outside Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s residence on Tuesday, JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal was removed by the police after he staged a dharna demanding a party ticket from the Gopalpur assembly constituency for the upcoming Bihar elections.Mandal, known for his fiery remarks and unpredictable political moves, had arrived outside the CM’s residence early in the morning and refused to leave until he was granted an audience with Nitish Kumar. “I want to meet the CM. I have been waiting here since 8.30 am. I will get the election ticket. I won’t go without getting it,” ANI reported Mandal as saying before being escorted away by police.Patna Police officials said the protest site fell in a high-security, restricted zone near the Raj Bhavan, and action was taken in line with election conduct rules. “The Model Code of Conduct is in place, and protests in this area are not allowed. We have removed the protestors from the site,” DSP Anu Kumari told reporters.The MLA’s dharna comes amid signs of growing unease within the JD(U) over seat distribution for the two-phase Bihar Assembly polls scheduled for November 6 and 11. The incident follows JD(U) MP Ajay Kumar Mandal’s letter to Nitish Kumar, expressing anguish over being sidelined in the ticket selection process in his Bhagalpur Lok Sabha constituency. In his letter, the MP said that “outsiders and inactive individuals” were being prioritised while opinions of local leaders were being ignored. “I’m not even being allowed to meet you, nor is my opinion being heard. I find it difficult to understand why I should continue as an MP when the opinions of dedicated workers no longer matter,” he wrote, while offering to resign.Meanwhile, JD(U) national spokesperson Sanjay Kumar Jha dismissed speculation of internal discord, accusing the Opposition of “spreading rumours” about the NDA’s unity. “Nitish Kumar is absolutely happy and ready for the elections. All five parties of the NDA are united, and our candidate list will be announced soon,” Jha said.The NDA has finalised its seat-sharing formula: JD(U) and BJP will contest 101 seats each, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Hindustani Awam Morcha will contest six seats each.With the election dates drawing near and several leaders voicing discontent over ticket allocation, Mandal’s dramatic protest underscores the simmering tension within the JD(U) ranks — even as the party leadership projects a united front ahead of the polls.
