Ex-Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi nominated as BJP candidate for Rajya Sabha bypoll in Bihar

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll. He had recently been denied a berth in Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's new cabinet.

There were a few speculations of Sushil Kumar Modi being upset, however, the BJP had promised him "a new responsibility". "Sushil Modi ji is not at all upset. He is an asset to us. The party will think about him, a new responsibility will be given to him," Devendra Fadnavis, BJP's in-charge for the Bihar polls, had told news agency ANI.

Modi, who served as Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister under Nitish Kumar for 11 years, was replaced by



BJP leaders Renu Kumari and Tarkishore Prasad.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha seat had fell vacant after the demise of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan on October 8.

Reportedly, the Election Commission has fixed December 14 for the bypoll and counting of votes.

Incidentally, the winner of the bypoll will be the third occupant of this Rajya Sabha seat in its current tenure.

Union Minister of Law and Justice of India Ravi Shankar Prasad had been elected from this seat in 2018. However, he had to resign after being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019.

Paswan was elected from this seat in June 2019. He was supported by the BJP and the JD(U).