No Nawada ticket for Giriraj, Shah fields him from Begusarai

Despite MoS Giriraj Singh's disappointment, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday announced his candidature from Begusarai Lok constituency instead of his current Nawada constituency in Bihar.

Shah said, "Mr @girirajsinghbjp will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Begusarai of Bihar. I have heard all his things and the organization will solve all his problems. I wish him good luck for the election".

Giriraj had earlier said, "I am sad only because of Bihar BJP leadership. This decision (of fielding from Begusarai) was taken without taking me into confidence. My self-respect has been violated."

"I was hoping to contest election from Begusarai in 1996 and 2014. However, the party leadership said Bhola Singh wants to contest from Begusarai. I was fielded from Nawada (then)," he told ANI.

One of his rivals from Begusarai constituency will be former president of JNU Students' Union Kanhaiya Kumar who has been fielded by CPI. Kumar joined student politics through All India Students' Federation (AISF), which is the students wing of CPI.

The parliamentary constituency of Begusarai, which was won by BJP in 2014 general elections, has been lying vacant after the death of MP Bhola Singh.

The seat of Nawada has been conceded to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) as part of the seat-sharing formula of NDA.

Out of 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, BJP and the Janata Dal (United) will contest 17 seats each, while the remaining six would be fought by the LJP.

Bihar will be witnessing polling in all seven phases, April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.