Election Shocker: Bihar BJP's leader to follow Jaswant's footsteps

Patna, March 24: Bihar BJP senior leader Lal Muni Choubey, who was denied ticket from Buxar, today announced to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate from the same seat, terming party president Rajnath Singh as the 'president of slaves'.

"BJP has become a party of slaves... I will contest from Buxar as an independent candidate," Choubey, the four-time MP from Buxar, who is expected to file nomination tomorrow told reporters here. Talking about party president Rajnath Singh, he said, "Wo gulamo ke adhyaksh hai (he is President of slaves)."

A peeved Choubey spoke in favour of Jaswant Singh, who was denied ticket to fight the Lok Sabha elections from his home town Rajasthan's Barmer.

"Jaswantji ke satth anyay hua hai (Injustice has been done with Jaswant Singh)," the septuagenarian leader said. He also announced to campaign against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Varanasi.

"Lal Muni Choubey is as much of Buxar as of Varanasi. Now that I am out of fake BJP I will tour against the party in Varanasi and the entire Poorvanchal region," he said.

He called BJP's official candidate in Buxar Ashwani Choubey as a 'nakli BJP nominee' and said he was sure that the people of Buxar will ensure defeat of the 'nakli' (fake) BJP nominee here. Asked about reports that senior BJP leaders were trying to mollify him promising the Governor's post, he said he has no lust for Governorship or any other post. Choubey was elected for the first time from Buxar in 1996.

He represented the seat continuously till 2009, when he lost to RJD leader Jagadanand Singh by 2,000 votes. Meanwhile, Ashwani Choubey, who hailed from Bhagalpur district, today filed his nomination from Buxar seat. He described the senior Choubey as his "abibhavavak" (guardian) but said his fighting as an independent candidate would not have much impact on BJP's prospect on the seat.

PTI