Insaaf Times Desk

Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, discontent within the Janata Dal (United) has come out in the open over ticket distribution. Bhagalpur MP Ajay Kumar Mandal has written a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, seeking permission to resign from his parliamentary post. Meanwhile, Bhagalpur MLA Gopal Mandal, fearing denial of a ticket, staged a protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence on Monday.

Ajay Mandal wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle “Hon’ble Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ji, kindly grant me permission to resign from my post as Member of Parliament. Despite being the local MP, I was not consulted during ticket distribution. Under such circumstances, there is no justification for continuing in this position.”

In his letter, Mandal said that he had been serving the party organization and the people for over two decades, but the opinions of local leadership were being completely ignored in the ticket distribution process. He wrote, “People who have never worked for the organization are being given preference in my constituency. This is not a good sign for the party’s future.”

Mandal also alleged that he was not being allowed to meet the Chief Minister. “When the opinions of dedicated workers and local leaders have no value, remaining in the post holds no meaning,” he added.

Meanwhile, JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal sat on a dharna outside the Chief Minister’s residence along with his supporters, expressing anger over the possibility of being denied a ticket. He said he was being deliberately sidelined in the ticket distribution process.

Speaking to the media, Gopal Mandal said, “I have been a loyal worker of the Janata Dal (U) for years and have continuously worked for my constituency. If our voices are ignored in ticket allocation, how will workers stay motivated?”

Following information about the protest, police were deployed at the spot. However, the situation returned to normal after some time.

Infighting within the JD(U) over ticket distribution is reportedly intensifying. According to sources, leaders and workers from Kurtha, Darbhanga, and Nabinagar are also expressing resentment. Those whose tickets have been cut—or their supporters—are reaching the Chief Minister’s residence to register their protest.

With seat-sharing talks within the NDA alliance already delayed, this internal discord within the JD(U) could pose a new political challenge for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The party has so far not issued any official statement on these developments.