By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The wait is over as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for the upcoming Bihar by-elections. Vishal Prashant, son of Bahubali Sunil Pandey, will contest from the Tarari assembly seat, while Ashok Kumar Singh has been chosen to represent the Ramgarh assembly seat.
Despite Sunil Pandey’s desire to contest from Tarari, the BJP has opted not to field him, likely due to his Bahubali (strongman) image. Instead, the party has chosen his son, Vishal Prashant, as their candidate. It is said that a consensus was reached on Vishal’s name after the party’s reluctance to endorse Sunil Pandey.
In Ramgarh, Ashok Kumar Singh, who previously served as an MLA in 2015, has been given another chance by the BJP. He is set to face Ajit Singh, the younger son of RJD leader Jagadanand Singh, in a closely watched contest.
By-elections are scheduled for four assembly seats in Bihar, with candidates now being announced. Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party, HAM, has fielded his daughter-in-law, Deepa Manjhi, from the Imamganj seat. The NDA has yet to declare its candidate for the Belagnj seat, where Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] is expected to announce its choice soon.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will field Dr Vishwanath Yadav, elder son of former Belagnj MLA and current Jehanabad MP Surendra Prasad Yadav, as their candidate for the seat.
