New Delhi, Mar 20 : Socialist leader George Fernandes is 79 but believes it is no age to shun electoral politics. His party, the Janata Dal-United, has refused him a ticket to contest elections and says he is “unwell”.
“We have decided not to give ticket to George. We cannot insult the people--the situation has forced us to deny the ticket. He is unwell; he cannot move around properly. We have requested him that we can send him to Rajya Sabha,” JD-S chief Sharad Yadav told CNN-IBN on Friday.
Fernandes, who was Defence Minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, has refused his party’s offer and announced he would contest elections from Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
Fernandes, who suffers from loss, has won the Muzaffarpur seat five times but was on Thursday told he won’t be given the party ticket this time.
Yadav promised to nominate Fernandes, a nine-time Lok Sabha member, to the Rajya Sabha "whenever the first vacancy arises from Bihar for the Upper House".
Fernandes refused Yadav’s offer. "I am fully capable of undertaking the additional burden of campaigning," said Fernandes.
Fernandes claimed his supporters wanted him to represent Muzaffarpur and "I have accepted".
Fernandes and Yadav are political rivals. Yadav first defeated Fernandes in elections for the JD-S president’s post in 2006 and then replaced him as the NDA’s convenor in December 2008.
