Nine nominations filed for LS by-polls in Bihar, Jharkhand

Patna/Ranchi, Oct 14 (UNI) Samata Party president Brahmanand Mandal was among five people who filed their nominations today for November six by-elections in Nalanda and Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seats in Bihar while four candidates filed their papers for bypolls to Koderma seat in Jharkhand.

Mr Mandal and an independent candidate filed their nominations for Nalanda, Bihar election office said, adding that it received three nominations for Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat.

MLA Pradeep Choubey is eyeing the Bhagalpur seat where BJP heavyweight Shahnawaz Hussain is the official candidate for the saffron brigade.

Mr Pankaj Tiwari of Ambedkar National Congress and Neeraj Kumar of National Progressive Party also submitted their papers for Bhagalpur seat.

Nalanda and Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seats fell vacant after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi resigned following their entry into state legislative politics.

In Ranchi, Deputy Commissioner of Giridih-cum electoral officer Vinay Kumar Ambastha told UNI over phone that three candidates -- Pradeep Turi, Jagdish Mahto and Thakur Das -- filed their nominations as independents and Dashrath Nayak as BJP candidate for the Koderma Lok Sabha seat.

Earlier, Mr Jaiprakash Verma from AJSU and Rajkumar Yadav of CPI(ML), former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic) president Babulal Marandi and Arun Narayan Dev had filed their papers as independent candidates.

According to BJP sources, Pranav Verma, son of late Reetlal Verma, who represented Koderma five times, would file his nomination on October 16, the last day for filing nominations.

The UPA is also expected to field its nominee the same day.

Koderma parliamentary seat fell vacant after former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi resigned from the membership of the BJP and Lok Sabha a few months back.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be done on October 17 while the last date for withdrawal of nomination is October 19.

Polling would be held on November six while counting will take place on November nine.

UNI TEAM VA RP RK1925