The release of names by Janata Dal United on Wednesday has come as a big surprise as it does not include the name of the former director general of police, Bihar, the loud-mouthed Gupteshwar Pandey. Gupteshwar, who took VRS from the post of DGP on Sep 22 had on Sep 26 joined Janata Dal United.
He was ushered into the party by none else but chief minister Nitish Kumar. Ever since then reports were doing the rounds that he would get ticket from his home turf, Buxar. But after the seat-sharing arrangement Buxar went to the BJP.
The news has certainly come as a rude shock as many party workers are dismayed that Nitish could not even ensure seat to his favourate police officer. Then there is speculation that Gupteshwar may get ticket for Valmikinagar Lok Sabha by-poll. But the former DGP is now saying that he had not resigned from the police to contest election.
This is not the first time that he is finding his dream shattered. In 2009 he had taken VRS in the hope that he would get BJP ticket from the Buxar Lok Sabha seat. But at the final moment he was denied ticket. The same BJP has now deprived him of another chance. Gupteshwar has now become a butt of joke as many people are asking whether he would once again re-join the IPS and serve as DGP for the next four months.
If Gupteshwar could not get ticket, former social welfare minister in Nitish Kumar cabinet, Manju Verma, has succeeded in getting one. The name of her husband Upendra Verma, figured prominently in the infamous Shelter Home Scandal of Muzaffarpur. About three dozen girls were alleged to be sexually exploited and even killed in that case.
Later, arms were recovered from the house of the couple. This incident created storm and Manju was compelled to quit. But two years after her resignation it is now clear that her party stands behind her.
Former RJD MLA, Dr Faraz Fatmi, who crossed over to the Janata Dal United had a mixed luck. He could not get ticket from Keoti seat from where he won on RJD ticket last time. But since Keoti, under the agreement has gone to VIP, Faraz has now got Darbhanga Rural seat.
In 2015 Lalit Kumar Yadav of RJD won. Faraz’s father M A A Fatmi , a former Union minister in the UPA-I government, left the RJD after he was denied ticket from the Darbhanga Lok Sabha constituency last year. Later he joined the Janata Dal United. Faraz too joined Janata Dal United a few weeks back.
