Bihar bypolls: Nitish congratulates winning candidates

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today congratulated candidates belonging to his ally, the BJP, as also those of the opposition RJD, who emerged victorious in the bypolls for one Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats in the state.

The chief minister, who is also the national president of the JD(U), greeted the winners through an official release.

Besides a congratulatory message he, however, did not comment further on the bypolls results which saw his party nominee defeat in the Jehanabad Assembly segment.

"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has congratulated Rinky Rani Pandey for her victory in Bhabhua, Krishna Mohan Yadav alias Suday Yadav for his win in Jehanabad and Sarfaraz Alam for his triumph in Araria", an official release said.

The bypolls to all the three seats were necessitated by the deaths of the incumbents.

The RJD retained Araria Lok Sabha seat and the Jehanabad Assembly segment while the BJP bagged Bhabhua.

JD(U) candidate Abhiram Sharma lost to Suday Yadav of RJD at Jehanabad by over 35,000 votes.

The outcome of the bypolls was the first electoral battle in Bihar after Kumar had dumped Grand Alliance in July last year and latter joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition ministry in the state.