13 candidates are in the fray…
Patna: On Thursday, 08 December 2022, counting of votes for the by-election to the Kurhani assembly constituency in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district is underway amid tight security arrangements.
On Monday, Nearly 58 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the by-poll to Kurhani where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and the BJP have locked horns for the first time since their break-up four months ago.
"The counting of votes began at 8 am in the morning. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the counting centre at the RDS College in Muzaffarpur," a senior official of the office of the state Chief Electoral officer said.
Altogether 13 candidates, five out of them are Independents in the fray through the contest is being seen, primarily, as between the BJP's Kedar Gupta and the JD (U)'s Manoj Singh Kushwaha. Both are former MLAs.
Mr. Gupta had lost to Sahani by less than 700 votes in the 2020 assembly polls which BJP and JD (U) had fought in alliance. Now, the JD (U) is a part of "Mahagathbandhan" comprising RJD, Congress, and the Left parties.
The election was necessitated by the disqualification of sitting RJD MLA Anil Kumar Sahani.
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