George Fernandes' nomination for general polls opposed

Patna, March 17 (IANS) Hundreds of Janata Dal-United (JD-U) workers in Bihar are opposing the nomination of ailing leader George Fernandes from his Muzaffarpur constituency for the parliamentary polls in April and May.

'The JD-U will lose the Muzaffarpur seat if Fernandes contests the elections as he is unwell. The party should field a young face to ensure victory,' Hari Om Kushwaha, a member of the party's state council, said Tuesday.

Fernandes had won the 2004 parliamentary polls from Muzaffarpur but JD-U workers have urged party national president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider their decision of renominating the veteran leader.

'The party workers have faxed the resolution opposing Fernandes's renomination to Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar,' said party leader Arun Kumar Patel.

Harendra Kumar, another JD-U leader, claimed that a coterie of sycophants had recommended Fernandes as the candidate with the motive of ensuring the party's defeat.

Moreover, Kushwaha has urged the Election Commission to prevent Fernandes from contesting the polls as he is allegedly suffering from memory failure.

About two months ago, Fernandes expressed his desire to contest the general elections from Nalanda at a JD-U meeting in Rajgir in Nalanda district. He had won the seat in the 1996, 1998 and 1999 general elections.

However, the party leaders did not support his candidature from Nalanda, which Nitish Kumar won in 2004.