Withdraw from polls, says threat letter to BJP leader

Senior BJP leader Prem Kumar, one of the contenders for the chief minister's post if the BJP-led NDA wins the Bihar assembly polls next month, got a threat letter asking him to withdraw from the polls, police said on Monday.

Prem Kumar, a five time legislator who is contesting the polls again from Gaya town assembly constituency, was told to announce his withdrawal from the election.

"Prem Kumar was threatened with dire consequences if he failed to do so. In the threat letter to him, it was promised that all his expenditure in the polls till date will be returned," a police official said.

According to the threat letter, Rajkumar Prasad is to be the new legislator of Gaya town.

However, Rajkumar Prasad alias Raju Barnwal, who is contesting the polls as an independent candidate, said the threat letter to Prem Kumar was part of a conspiracy to defame him and frame him in a false charge.

Voting in Gaya town was held in the second phase of the five-phased Bihar assembly elections on October 16.

A team of BJP leaders from Gaya has met Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj and sought more security for Prem Kumar in view of the threat letter.