Patna,(BiharTimes): After the filing of nomination papers by three official candidates of the Janata Dal (United) on the last day of filing of nomination on Monday the contest has become interesting as three Independents have thrown their hats in the ring. 

They are Sabir Ali, Anil Sharma and Dilip Jaiswal. While Sabir is a former Rajya Sabha MP of Janata Dal (United), who joined the BJP on the eve of the Lok Sabha election, Anil Sharma unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha election as Janata Dal (United) candidate from Jehanabad.

. They are likely to get the support of the rebel Janata Dal (United) MLAs as well as that of the BJP, which is incidentally not opposing the candidature of the Janata Dal (United) president, Sharad Yadav, who had also filed his nomination today. Instead the rebels and the saffron party are most likely to vote against the two other Janata Dal (United) candidates, Pawan Kumar Verma and Ghulam Rasool Baliyawi.

But the battle took yet another turn with Dilip Jaiswal, who unsuccessfully contested as the BJP candidate from Kishanganj, also filing his nomination papers. This happened notwithstanding the fact that the former deputy chief minister and senior party leader Sushil Kumar Modi stating that his party is not fielding any candidate. He said that the BJP is watching the development and would take a decision in this regard soon.

However, Jaiswal’s decision has come as a surprise to the party and some leaders are underplaying it. He, however, said he was contesting on the seat vacated by Rajiv Pratap Rudi. Sources said that the party may persuade him to withdraw from the contest.

However, if the JD(U) rebels and BJP join hands it can certainly cause problem to Pawan Verma and Baliyawi. Indirectly, both the BJP and the rebels have supported Sharad, which means that now the party chief is virtually face to face with the outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar. If the two other candidates of the JD(U)––or anyone of them––lose the by-election it would be another embarrassment for the former chief minister. 

The decision of Anil Sharma to jump into the ring is interesting. He was till recently considered close to Nitish, who put him up as the party candidate from Jehanabad. Only last week he rejected the offer to contest the Rajya Sabha election stating that he is not a fit person for this job and there are many others who deserve to go to the Upper House. But his sudden appearance in the scene on Monday shocked the Janata Dal (United) leaders.

When the importance of each MLA is mattering so much the RJD has decided not to issue its whip on the Rajya Sabha by-poll. Party spokesman, Mritunjay Tiwari, said that the decision had been left on the discretion of the legislators. The RJD has 21 MLAs in the Assembly which has at present the strength of 237. 

The JD(U) has 117 MLAs. The party would have easily won all the three seats had it not been facing revolt from within. The BJP has 84 legislators.

If Poonam Devi, one of the rebels, is to be believed the number of legislators who are siding with them is 50. However, independent sources said that their number is less. 

But political observers are of the view that things may take another turn in the next 10 days as the election is due on June 19.