BJP to send lawyer Manan Kumar Mishra to Rajya Sabha from Bihar

Patna: The BJP on Tuesday announced Supreme Court lawyer Manan Kumar Mishra as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-poll in Bihar.

Mishra, who hails from Gopalganj district, joined the BJP about a decade ago.

By-poll was necessitated in two seats in the state following the election to the Lok Sabha of BJP's Vivek Thakur and RJD's Misa Bharti.

Former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, who heads Rashtriya Lok Morcha, has already announced that he was the BJP-led NDA's candidate in the other Rajya Sabha seat.

Both are expected to file nomination papers on Wednesday.

As per the NDA's seat-sharing formula for Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls, Kushwaha's party was to get a seat in Parliament and another berth in the state legislative council.

Kushwaha contested the Karakat seat, which he had won for the NDA in 2014, but finished third behind Raja Ram Kushwaha of CPI(ML), who won, and Pawan Singh who was the runner-up.