Patna: In a major win against Nitish-Tejashwi's Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, the BJP registered victory in the Kurhani Assembly bypoll on Thursday.
BJP's Kedar Prasad Gupta defeated JD(U) candidate Manoj Kushwaha with a margin of 3,645 votes after all the 23 rounds of counting.
Kedar Gupta managed to obtain 76,648 votes while Manoj Kushwaha got 73,016 votes. At the end of 22 round counting, Manoj Kushwaha left the centre.
The seat was previously held by RJD's Anil Sahani, who was disqualified after getting convicted in LTA scam.
With this win, the BJP has given a big statement to the seven-party alliance government of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. This seat was also a prestigious issue for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. Even JD(U) national president Lalan Singh had been camping in Kurhani for most of the time to save this seat. The defeat of Manoj Kushwaha can have implications for the Mahagathbandhan in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Assembly election.
After the formation of the grand alliance government in Bihar, the JD(U) and RJD have been planning to whitewash the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. But the BJP has won two bypolls -- Gopalganj and Kurhani -- within two months.
Sushil Kumar Modi, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP said: "Mahagathbandhan contested the Kurhani bypoll with full strength. They have used the name of Lalu Prasad Yadav and played the emotional card in this election... still their candidate lost the election. Kurhani was a prestigious issue for CM Nitish Kumar. He went there several times to campaign, but the JD(U) candidate lost the election."
"Nitish Kumar has no moral ground to stay on the seat of chief minister. The way Nitish Kumar stepped down from the post in 2014 after JD(U) won only two seats in the Lok Sabha election, he should do the same after losing Kurhani bypoll," Modi said.
Following the win in Kurhani, the BJP leaders and supporters burst crackers at the party office in Patna and chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan.
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