Convicted neta’s wife gets L’daga bypoll ticket

RANCHI: The parliamentary board of Ajsu Party on Monday officially approved Niru Shanti Bhagat’s name as the consensus candidate of NDA for contesting Lohardaga assembly by-polls, which is scheduled for December 14.
The party’s decision is an endorsement to the masterstroke played by its outgoing MLA Kamal Kishore Bhagat, who entered into matrimony before surrendering on the direction of the high court in connection with a two-decade old attempt-to-murder case.
In a meeting of the executive committee of the party, chaired by central president Sudesh Mahato, members decided that a member of Bhagat’s family can ensure the party’s victory from the seat. Bhagat’s wife’s name was recommended to the parliamentary board, which was eventually approved. The party claimed the support of the BJP on its decision.
Responding to the announcement made by the party, BJP vice-president Deepak Prakash said that the Lohardaga seat was politically and morally held by Ajsu and they were ready to support any decision. “I am not aware about any meeting between the BJP and Ajsu Party to discuss the candidature for Lohardaga seat as the seat has belonged to Ajsu. We are ready to support them,” said Prakash.
Bhagat contested and won the Lohardaga reserved seat against Congress’s Sukhdeo Bhagat by a narrow margin of around 600 votes. As BJP and Ajsu Party were in a pre-poll alliance ahead of the 2014 elections, the BJP had not fielded its candidate.