Interestingly, the JD(U) earlier announced the name of Ram Vilas Ram as its candidate. It was much after the announcement of names that the party leadership came to know that there are a number of serious charges pending against Ram Vilas. So in a hurry he was replaced by his daughter-in-law Manju. Her name was announced all out of sudden on Sunday by the state party chief, Vashisth Narayan Singh. Manju was a contractual teacher. All out of sudden she was made to give up the job, her resignation was accepted and she was summoned to Patna and finally declared as the party’s candidate. 

Ram Vilas is a retired block agriculture officer. The party dropped his name when it learnt that he was, inter alia, accused in Section 354 of IPC (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty). A charge-sheet has also been filed against him and the court has not acquitted him.
Incidentally, the JD(U) leaders are now saying that they were not aware of such serious charges against him.

Party sources now said that apart from Section 354 he has been booked under other Sections too. 

The announcement of Manju Kumari has caused serious embarrassment to the party as the pending case relates to assault on woman. 

Many party workers, who came from Kalyanpur, staged protest outside party office opposing her candidature.

There is another twist to the story. The Kalyanpur seat in Samastipur district got vacant following the death of sitting JD(U) MLA, Ram Sevak Hazari, on Oct 27 last year. Samastipur JD(U) MP Maheshwar Hazari, who is also the son of Ram Sewak, had lobbied to get ticket for his wife, Sandhya. But due to clash within the family the ticket went to someone else. The MP’s mother, Subarni Devi, wanted ticket for her elder son Kameshwar Hazari, whose wife Manju Hazari is BJP MLA from Rosera. Curiously, one of late Ram Sevak’s brother, Shashi Bhushan Hazari, is BJP MLA from Kusheshwarsthan in Darbhanga district.

As now Manju Kumari has been declared as JD(U) nominee, women will come to play more dominant role in the contest. LJP has fielded Rekha Paswan, who is Pramukh of Kalyanpur block, while Congress is likely to give ticket to Anita Ram, who had contested unsuccessfully in the past.