Jharkhand BJP Rift May Have A Nitish Kumar Connection, Claims Rebel Saryu Roy

Senior BJP leader and the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister in the Raghubar Das-led Jharkhand Cabinet Saryu Roy on Monday said that he was denied ticket by the BJP due to his proximity with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Roy, who tendered his resignation as a minister, had Sunday announced to take on CM Raghubar Das in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Roy said that three members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, that approved candidates list, told him that release of his book by "friend" Nitish Kumar in 2017 was strongly resented and probably this cost him the party nomination.

"The book authored by me was apolitical and getting it released by Nitish Kumar is no crime," Roy, who has tendered his resignation from the Jharkhand ministry to take on the CM at Jamshedupur (East) assembly seat, said. "This (release of the book by Kumar) may be one of the reason for the BJP not giving me the ticket," he said.

Fumed about his name not featuring in the list of 72 candidates announced so far by the BJP, Roy has Sunday sent his resignation as a minister in Raghubar Das Cabinet to Governor Droupadi Murmu.  He said he will contest the elections from both Jamshedpur (East) and Jamshedpur (West) Assembly constituencies.

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"I will file my nomination papers from both the Assembly constituencies tomorrow (Monday)," he said. Roy’s move comes in the wake of his name not finding a place in the first four lists of 72 candidates declared by the BJP for the 81-member Assembly in Jharkhand, which is going to polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20.

Asked if he was taking on his own party by deciding to contest against the chief minister, he said, "Let the BJP take action against me." The BJP has re-nominated Das from the Jamshedpur (East) seat, while it is yet to announce its candidate from Jamshedpur (West). The two seats will go to polls in the second phase on December 7 and the last date of filing papers is Monday.