BJP candidate and former MLA files nomination for Dec 5 bypoll in Bihar

BJP candidate and former MLA Kedar Prasad Gupta on Tuesday filed his nomination papers for the December 5 by-poll to Kurhani assembly constituency in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Gupta will taking on JD(U) nominee Manoj Singh Kushwaha, a two-time MLA from the constituency.

Kushwaha has the support of the seven-party Grand Alliance.

Sources in the BJP said Gupta, too, enjoys the support of two factions of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) one led by Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and the other by his nephew Chirag Paswan.

Bypoll to Kurhani seat was necessitated following the disqualification of RJD's Anil Sahni as MLA.

Sahani, convicted in a case of fraud by the CBI, has been awarded a three-year jail term.

The last date for filing of nominations is November 17.

Candidates can withdraw nomination till November 21.

Votes will be counted on December 8.

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, after announcing Kushwaha's candidature for the by-election, had told reporters on Saturday that the decision to field JD (U) candidate was jointly taken by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"All alliance partners will campaign for the JD(U) candidate. We will comfortably win this seat, he had asserted.

BJP's Gupta, a Vaishya by caste, had bagged the constituency in 2015, defeating Kushwaha.

Sahani, however, clinched the seat for the RJD in 2020.