NDA rocked by dissent over Bihar election tickets

The National Democratic Alliance in Bihar suffered a jolt on Wednesday as a Lok Janshakti Party MP resigned from the party post of general secretary and two BJP MLAs who were denied ticket met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Coverage: The Battle for Bihar

Vaishali Lok Sabha member Ramakishore Singh tendered his resignation as national general secretary of LJP as well chief whip of its parliamentary party, Singh said in a press statement in Patna.

He also quit as party in-charge of Rajasthan, the statement said.

The LJP MP, who has been a long time associate of LJP chief and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan, quit allegedly on being sidelined from decision making process of the party in the seat-sharing in the NDA.

The LJP got 40 seats in the coalition and this has left even senior party leaders miffed.

Recently, Chirag Paswan, son of party chief and its parliamentary board head, had commented that Singh would be mollified. But, things did not improve and he quit the party posts.

Singh had defeated RJD leader and former Union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh at Vaishali in the last general election.

Meanwhile, peeved over denial of ticket, two BJP MLAs -- Aman Kumar and Ajay Mandal -- met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the afternoon amid indication that they would join the grand secular alliance in the elections.

Coming out of the CM's residence, Aman Kumar, MLA from Pirpainty (SC seat) in Bhagalpur district, told media persons that even the chief minister expressed surprise over denial of ticket to him.

"Since the BJP has left me in the cold I have to go to some party. I enjoy good relations with Nitish," he added.

Another BJP MLA Ajay Mandal, representing Nathnagar assembly seat in the same Bhagalpur district, also met Kumar.