BJP names 9 for assembly byelection

PATNA: The BJP on Thursday cleared the list of its nine candidates for the assembly bypolls slated for August 21. The party will fight the by-election in alliance with its Bihar NDA partners – the LJP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP). Of the 10 assembly seats going to by-election, the BJP would be contesting nine and the LJP one, while no seat has been given to RLSP.
The BJP list contains the names of three party hoppers who joined it on different occasions this year. However, the party’s central leadership did not give green signal to the wards or relatives of the five BJP MPs to contest their respective assembly seats that fell vacant following their election to the Lok Sabha.
“Party president Amit Shah finally sanctioned the candidature of nine candidates to contest the bypolls,” said state BJP chief Mangal Pandey. Apparently, the ‘problem’ arising out of the claims of the five MPs with regard to their wards or relatives were ironed out without leaving frayed tempers.
The nine candidates finally selected are Rashmi Verma (Narkatiaganj), Kanhaiya Singh (Chhapra), Awadhesh Kumar (Hajipur), Ram Niwas Prasad (Jale), Ram Prit Paswan (Rajnagar), Rajesh Singh (Mohiuddinagar), Ram Narain Mandal (Banka), Nabhay Choudhary (Bhagalpur) and Niranjan Ram (Mohania).
Of them, Verma, who was tipped to contest Narkatiaganj on JD (U) ticket, apprehending denial of ticket, switched sides and joined the BJP in the nick of time. Ram Niwas Prasad, former RJD MLA, had joined the BJP this year. Similarly, Niranjan Ram had contested the Mohania seat unsuccessfully on the RJD ticket and had also joined the BJP this year. The remaining six candidates were described as “pure BJP workers or office-bearers.”
Barring Ram Narain Mandal, the other five of these six “pure BJP worker or office-bearer” candidates are fresh in electoral battle.