Patna, June 8 (IANS) On the final day for filing nominations for the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) elections, all nine candidates of the NDA alliance, including Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar, submitted their nomination papers at the Legislative Assembly.

Nishant Kumar arrived at the Assembly, accompanied by JD(U) Working President Sanjay Jha.

Speaking to the media after filing his nomination, Kumar said, “I have come to file my nomination as a Legislative Council member. I am grateful for the trust the party has placed in me. I will work to fulfil the dream of a developed Bihar that my father envisioned.”

Among the prominent candidates, BJP leader and Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh also filed his nomination.

He reached the Assembly in a luxury Land Cruiser reportedly worth around Rs 2.5 crore, attracting considerable attention. A large number of supporters and party leaders accompanied him, including his elder brother, Guddu Singh.

Although Pawan Singh did not interact with the media, he expressed happiness over receiving the party’s nomination and thanked the BJP leadership.

Other NDA candidates who completed the nomination process included Ashraf Ansari of LJP (Ram Vilas), Sanjay Mayukh (BJP), and Bharti Mehta from the JD(U).

Several senior NDA leaders were present in the Assembly during the nomination process, including Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Union Ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and Chirag Paswan, and several ministers from the Bihar government.

On the other hand, the Mahagathbandhan camp witnessed a relatively low-profile presence, with RJD leader Sunil Kumar Singh being the only prominent alliance candidate to arrive for filing his nomination in the morning.

A total of ten candidates are in the fray for the MLC elections, comprising nine from the NDA and one from the RJD.

Meanwhile, questions were raised over the exclusion of former BJP state president Deepak Prakash from the NDA list.

Responding to the issue, Bihar Minister Shravan Kumar of JD(U) said the decision regarding Deepak Prakash rested entirely with the BJP, and the party ultimately chose not to include his name among the alliance’s candidates.

–IANS

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