The list released by Grand Alliance and the NDA left many a ticket aspirant foxed.

For many, it was like a lightning strike. Some of them, after getting assurance from top leaders of the respective parties, had already gone to their constituencies to campaign.

From the JDU, 35 sitting MLAs have been denied tickets and from the RJD, the figure stands at five. Similarly, the BJP till now has denied 19 sitting MLAs tickets.

Rajesh Singh of the JDU representing Valmiki Nagar was undeterred by the fact that the Assembly segment he had represented four times went to the kitty of Congress. He claims that he was assured by chief minister Nitish Kumar that he would remain a candidate of the Grand Alliance.

"I am the only MLA who had won Valmiki Nagar four times. Nitish ji told me that aap to kisi bhi dal se jeet sakte hai (I can win election from any party). Nitish ji told me that he had spoken to Congress leadership and convinced them to accommodate me," said a shocked Rajesh with a low voice.

Another case is the JDU's Dawood Ali from Dumraon seat. On September 19, there was Milan Samorah of Dadan Singh Yadav, popularly known as Dadan Pahelwan, in the party office. This correspondent asked Dawood whether he was aware that Dumraon seat is going to Dadan, he said: "I have no idea about this, I am in my constituency. Nitish ji ne bola hai ke chetra mein jakar pasina bahaiye (Nitishji told me to sweat it out in the constituency). I do not think that Nitish ji will deny my ticket."

After two days, Dawood came to know that he had been denied ticket and then openly attacked Nitish saying that he had done injustice to him. On third day, Dawood joined Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party (Democratic).

About MLAs denied ticket despite getting assurance from top leaders, JDU spokesperson Ajay Alok said: "This is compulsion of coalition and people are denied tickets even after assurance does not mean that they would not be accommodated somewhere."

The axe fell on the BJP leaders too. Raghunathpur MLA Vikram Kunwar is one of them. He started his politics from Jan Sangh and represented the seat thrice. When the talk of candidate's name was going on in Delhi, he too reached there to make his presence. "When I went to Delhi, the top BJP leaders told me to spend time in the constituency so I came back and started meeting people and party workers. Later, I came to know that I have been denied to contest this year's election. Prime Minister Narendara Modi takes pride by saying that he is the son of a chaiwala (tea seller), I am wondering how could a son of durwan (gatekeeper) be denied ticket? My father Jagdish Kunwar was gatekeeper in Patna's Regent theatre," said Vikram.

Another BJP MLA from Brahampur, Dilmani Devi, echoed the same. She is a close relative of former governor and party patriarch Kailash Pati Mishra. "I could not sleep the whole night when my ticket was denied by the party. How can it happen with me?" said Dilmani