PATNA: Besides retaining its two sitting MPs Kaushlendra Kumar (Nalanda) and Santosh Kushwaha (Purnia), Bihar’s ruling JD(U) has decided to field its four former Lok Sabha members to checkmate the grand alliance candidates in different constituencies.Though the party’s national executive body had recently authorised its president and CM Nitish Kumar for selecting candidates for different Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and outside the state and is yet to come out with the list of candidates, sources in JD(U) said the party leadership has decided to field its four former MPs from the seats they had won in the past.The JD(U) has been allotted 17 seats, out of total 40 in the state, as part of seat-sharing pact with the NDA allies BJP and LJP. BJP would contest on 17 seats while the LJP will contest in six constituencies.The four former MPs are Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Mahabali Singh, Baidyanath Prasad Mahto and Dinesh Chandra Yadav. While Lalan Singh, Mahabali and Mahto had won the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 as JD(U) candidates from Munger, Valmikinagar and Karakat, respectively; Yadav was the JD(U) MP from erstwhile Saharsa Lok Sabha seat in 1999. Yadav had also won Saharsa seat as the then Janata Dal candidate in 1996.Sources in JD(U) said the party has decided to once again field Lalan Singh from Munger, Baidyanath Mahto from Valmikinagar and Mahabali from Karakat seat, while Dinesh Chandra Yadav would be fielded from prestigious Madhepura seat as Saharsa no longer exists as a Lok Sabha constituency.Besides fielding its four former MPs, the JD(U) leadership is also planning to field former independent MP Putul Kumari Singh from Banka seat. Putul had won Banka Lok Sabha seat in a by-election in 2010. The seat was vacated due to death of her husband and the then MP Digvijay Singh who had won in 2009 as independent. Digvijay had also won Banka seat in 1998 as Samata Party candidate and in 1999 as Janta Dal (U) candidate.In Katihar, the party leadership has asked former labour resources minister Dulal Chand Goswami to make preparations for contesting the election. Similarly, in Supaul, Dileshwar Kamat, who was runner-up in 2014 elections, has been asked to get ready for giving a befitting contest to Congress sitting MP and AICC secretary Ranjeet Ranjan.When contacted, JD(U) national secretary general and spokesperson K C Tyagi said, the name of candidates for all 17 seats have been “almost finalised.” The name of candidates would be announced in next few days.

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