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Nitish Kumar to be absent from Rahul Gandhi's programme tomorrow

Nitish Kumar said he would be busy with ticket distribution

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not be present at the rally of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in West Champaran district on Saturday as he would be busy with ticket distribution.

Bihar Congress President Ashok Choudhary told PTI that they have received a communication that like RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is occupied with seat allotment and selection of candidates and hence would not be able to it make to the Ramnagar programme. He, however, said too much of political meaning should not be read into it.

JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi told PTI, "Party has authorised me to participate in the rally of Rahul Gandhi".

Tyagi said as Kumar would be involved in ticket distribution, he has to stay in the state capital and will not be able to make it to Rahul Gandhi's programme at Ramnagar on the occasion of birth anniversary of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.

There would be "many occasions in the near future" when senior leaders of the grand secular alliance JD(U), RJD and Congress would share dias during poll, Tyagi claimed.

Kumar did not comment about his absence from the Rahul Gandhi programme but tweeted a message "Mahagathbandhan has finalised the list of seats each party would be contesting.

The formal list will be issued on September 19." RJD President Lalu Prasad has already announced that he would not be able to go to Ramnagar and instead he would send his son Tejaswi Yadav.

"Tomorrow's programme at Ramnagar is strictly a Congress function to observe the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar. Since its election time in Bihar we had invited leaders of secular alliance.

But, because of their preoccupation in seat allotment and selection of candidates Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar have expressed inability to come," Ashok Choudhary Bihar Congress President, who was on way to Ramnagar, said.

He said Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad would accompany Rahul Gandhi in the function tomorrow.

Ramnagar, 40 km from district headquarter Bettiah, is dominated by Schedule castes and Tharu tribes. It borders Nepal and is about 15-20 km from Bhitarwah from where Mahatama Gandhi had launched his satyagraha in 1917. Ramnagar (reserved seat) is presently represented by Bhagirathi Devi of BJP.

( Source : PTI )
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