Patna, July 13 (IANS) A political controversy erupted in Bihar on the final day of nominations for the Bankipur Assembly by-election after Patna Police arrested JJD candidate Veena Manvi shortly after she filed her nomination papers.

The arrest prompted a sharp reaction from Tej Pratap Yadav, National President of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), who accused the ruling BJP-led government of attempting to influence the electoral process.

Reacting to the development, Tej Pratap Yadav alleged that the timing of the arrest was politically motivated.

He claimed that if police intended to execute a warrant against the candidate, they could have done so earlier rather than immediately after she filed her nomination papers.

According to Tej Pratap, Veena Manvi has been actively involved in social work and women’s issues and has been campaigning extensively in the Bankipur constituency.

The JJD chief alleged that the BJP was concerned about his party’s growing presence in the constituency and claimed that the arrest was an attempt to influence the democratic process during the election.

He said the party would challenge the action through both legal and political means after his return to Patna from Delhi.

“We will approach the courts and also take the issue to the public. We will tell people how our candidate was arrested during the election process. The public is watching everything,” Tej Pratap Yadav said.

He also criticised the Bihar government and Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, alleging that the action had been taken under political pressure and would be answered by the electorate.

Veena Manvi had completed the nomination process on the final day of filing papers for the Bankipur by-election before being taken into custody by Patna Police.

As of now, police have not issued a detailed official statement explaining the grounds for her arrest. Further clarification from law enforcement is awaited.

The incident has added a fresh political dimension to the Bankipur by-election, with opposition leaders questioning the timing of the arrest while authorities are yet to publicly explain the legal basis for the action.

–IANS

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