Bihar: Rajya Sabha poll candidates file nomination papers

Ruling BJP candidate Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, ally JD-U's candidates Bashistha Narain Singh and business tycoon Mahendra Prasad, popularly known as King Mahendra, on Monday filed their nomination papers for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, officials said.

"Prasad of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and two candidates of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) filed their nomination papers in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also the national president of JD-U, and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi," said a senior BJP leader.

Earlier in the day, opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidates Manoj Jha and Ashfaque Karim filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from the state, in the presence of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her elder son and former Bihar Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

Their names were announced by the party on Sunday.

Manoj Jha, a Professor at Delhi University, is the national spokesperson of RJD, and Ashfaque Karim is the Managing Director of the Katihar Medical College and Hospital in Bihar.

RJD state President Ram Chander Purve said both Jha and Karim were chosen by party chief Lalu Prasad, currently lodged in a Ranchi jail in connection with two fodder scam cases.

Candidate of RJD's ally Congress Akhilesh Singh, a former Union Minister, also filed his nomination on Monday, the last day for filing of nominations for the March 23 Rajya Sabha elections.

--IANS

ik/nir/vm