Lok Sabha Election 2019: Sharad Yadav files nomination for Madhepura seat of Bihar

Patna: Former Janata Dal-United (JD-U) President and founder of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) Sharad Yadav, on Wednesday filed his nomination papers as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Madhepura constituency for the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar.

The RJD is a part of the opposition Grand Alliance of the Congress, alongside Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP).

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav announced a merger last month with the LJD and fielded Sharad Yadav as the RJD candidate from Madhepura.

Sharad Yadav was accompanied by several leaders of the Grand Alliance, RJD workers and supporters who raised loud slogans as he submitted the documents. "People have made up their mind to vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA," Sharad Yadav said.

Madhepura is considered a stronghold of the RJD with a sizeable population of party chief Lalu Prasad's castemen 'Yadav.' The ruling NDA has fielded Dinesh Chandra Yadav of the JD-U from Madhepura. 

The seat was won by the RJDs Pappu Yadav in 2014. He defeated Sharad Yadav who was the JD-U candidate then. Pappu Yadav was later expelled from the RJD. 

Pappu Yadav also filed nomination papers last week from Madhepura as the candidate of his Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik).

As per the seat sharing formula of the Grand Alliance announced on March 22, the RJD will contest 19 of the 40 seats and the Congress nine, while smaller parties will be in contention in the remaining constituencies.

The RLSP will put up candidates in five seats, the HAM and VIP in three each and the RJD will give one seat out of its quota to the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML).

The seven-phase election in Bihar is scheduled from April 11 to May 19.