Bihar Bypoll: BJP leading in Kurhani after round 4

Patna: The opposition BJP is leading in the by-election to Kurhani assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar after the fourth round of counting on Thursday.

According to information shared by CEO officials, the BJP's Kedar Gupta was ahead with a margin of 941 over his nearest JD(U) rival Manoj Singh Kushwaha.

While Gupta secured 15,493 votes, Kushwaha got 14,552 after the fourth round of counting.

Altogether 13 candidates, five of them Independents, are in the fray though the contest is being seen, primarily, as between Gupta and Kushwaha. Both are former MLAs.

The by-poll was necessitated by the disqualification of sitting RJD MLA Anil Kumar Sahani.

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.

Nearly 58 per cent of voters exercised their franchise on Monday 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.