Assembly bypoll: BJP announces candidates for two seats in Bihar

Patna, Oct 20 (IANS) The BJP has announced its candidates for two constituencies in the upcoming by-elections for the Bihar Assembly, scheduled to be held on November 13.

On Saturday evening, the party named Vishal Prashant as its candidate for the Tarari seat and selected another candidate Ashok Kumar Singh for Ramgarh.

The by-elections in Bihar will take place on four seats: Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj.

Vishal Prashant, son of influential local Bahubali figure Sunil Pandey, will represent the BJP in Tarari.

Sunil Pandey, a well-known political figure and former MLA from the area, along with his son, joined the BJP two months ago, with expectations of contesting in this by-election. Tarari is considered a high-stakes constituency in this by-poll.

Adding to the competition, the Jan Suraj Party has already fielded Lt. General Krishna Singh, a retired Indian Army officer who served in the Gorkha battalion for 41 years, as its candidate for the Tarari seat. With these prominent candidates in the fray, Tarari is set to be a key battleground in this by-election.

Prashant Kishor has already drawn a comparison between his candidate for the Tarari by-election and the BJP candidate, Vishal Prashant, whose father, Sunil Pandey, has a reputation as a Bahubali (strongman) in the region.

Kishor, known for his political strategies and now leading the Jan Suraj Party, emphasised his commitment to "clean politics" in Bihar, bringing in candidates with a clean image and decent records, in contrast to candidates with controversial backgrounds.

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is expected to announce its candidates for the by-elections on Sunday.

In addition to the Tarari seat, the BJP has also fielded Ashok Kumar Singh for the Ramgarh constituency. Singh, a prominent figure in Kaimur district, had previously won from Ramgarh in 2015 but lost the 2020 Assembly election to Sudhakar Singh.

The BJP has given him another opportunity to reclaim the seat in the upcoming by-election.

In Imamganj, Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS) is contesting, as the seat fell vacant after Jitan Ram Manjhi was elected as an MP from Gaya.

Sources indicate that Manjhi has nominated his daughter-in-law, Deepa Manjhi, to contest the by-election, though the party has yet to confirm this officially.

The Belaganj seat has been allocated to the Janata Dal (United), but the party has not yet announced its candidate for the by-poll. With these developments, the by-elections are set to witness fierce competition across these four Bihar Assembly seats.

--IANS

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