Patna, Feb 15: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress on Thursday announced to contest upcoming bye-elections to one Lok Sabha and two assembly seats in Bihar together. The two parties reached to a seat-sharing agreement with the RJD declaring its candidates for Araria Lok Sabha and Jehanabad Assembly seat.
The RJD will contest Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad Assembly seat, while its alliance partner, Congress, will contest from Bhabhua seat, announced acting state president and Leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav at a joint press conference with Congress.
Araria seat had fallen vacant after the demise of Mohammad Taslimuddin. The RJD announced to field Taslimuddin’s son, Mohammad Sarfaraz Ahmad, who resigned from Jokihat Assembly seat which he represented on JD(U) ticket.
Suday Yadav will be RJD’s candidate from Jehanabd seat where bypoll was necessitated after the death of his father Mundrikya Yadav. The Congress is yet to announce its candidate for Bhabhua seat, which fell vacant after the demise of BJP legislature Anand Bhushan Pandey.
Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) acting president Kaukab Qadri and Tejashwi exuded confidence about their nominees’ prospects in the by-elections. While the ruling JD(U) has decided not to contest these bye-elections in Bihar, its alliance partner, BJP, is still holding discussions over seat sharing with smaller parties.