20 candidates file papers for 5 Bihar legislative council seats

PATNA: Altogether 20 candidates have filed nomination papers till Friday from the three teachers' and two graduates' constituencies of the Bihar legislative council going to the polls on March 31.
Seven candidates have so far filed their papers for Saran graduates', 2 each for Gaya graduates' and Gaya teachers', 6 for Saran teachers' and 3 for Kosi Teachers' seats. March 13 is the last date for filing nomination papers. While the byelectios in the Saran teachers' constituency were necessitated due to untimely death of sitting MLC Kedar Nath Pandey on October 24 last year. Prominent candidates who filed their papers on Friday were former council chairman Awadesh Narain Singh (BJP) from Gaya Graduates' constituency, JD(U) outgoing MLC Virendra Narayan Yadav from Saran Graduates' constituency, JD(U)'s Sanjeev Kumar Singh from Kosi Teachers' constituency and CPI's Anand Pushkar from Saran Teachers' constituency.
Earlier in the day, both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan camps announced their candidates for the five seats.
As per the announcement made by the Mahagathbandhan leaders, led by JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha, outgoing JD(U) MLC Virendra Narayan Yadav will contest from Saran, outgoing JD(U) MLC Sanjeeva Shyam Singh from Gaya Teachers', Sanjeev Kumar Singh from Kosi Teachers', RJD's Punit Kumar from Gaya Graduates' and CPI's Anand Pushkar, son of late Kedar Pandey, from Saran Teachers' seats.
From the NDA camp, former MLC Mahachandra Prasad Singh (Saran Graduates'), Awadhesh Narain Singh (Gaya Graduates), Ranjan Kumar (Kosi Teachers) and Dharmendra Singh (Saran Teachers) have been named candidates. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader D N Singh will contest from Gaya Teachers' seat as the NDA candidate. On February 27, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the biennial polls to two teachers' constituencies, two graduates' constituencies and bypoll to one Saran teachers' constituency.
Tthe elections in Gaya & Kosi teachers' constituencies and Saran & Gaya graduates' constituencies are necessitated as their respective sitting members are scheduled to retire on May 8 this year. Those retiring are Sanjeeva Shyam Singh (Gaya teachers'), Sanjeev Kumar Singh (Kosi teachers), Awadhesh Narain Singh (Gaya graduates') and Virendra Narayan Yadav (Saran Graduates').