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Fernandes files nomination for RS by poll as JD-U candidate

July 30, 2009 16:41 IST

Former Union minister and senior Janata Dal-United leader George Fernandes filed his nomination papers in Patna on Thursday as a party candidate for Rajya Sabha by election from Bihar.

The veteran socialist leader, who was denied a ticket to contest the last Lok Sabha polls on grounds of his ill health, filed his nomination papers in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The polling will be held on August 8.

The by poll was necessitated by the resignation of JD-U national president Sharad Yadav following his election to Lok Sabha from the Madhepura constituency.

Fernandes, 79, arrived in Patna from New Delhi on invitation of Nitish Kumar on Wednesday night. He was received by none other than the CM himself.

Interestingly, after Fernandes was denied a ticket to contest for the Lok Sabha, he had slammed Nitish Kumar and other JD-U leaders.

A senior JD-U leader told rediff.com in Patna that Fernandes is no more unhappy and angry with the party leadership, particularly Nitish Kumar, as he accepted the party offer to be Rajya Sabha nominee from Bihar.

Sharad Yadav in March said the party offered Fernandes a Rajya Sabha seat and requested him not to contest Lok Sabha polls.

Nitish Kumar then clarified that Fernandes was not denied a ticket; the party requested him not to contest the Lok Sabha polls owing to his health problems and offered him a Rajya Sabha nomination instead.

But ignoring party line, Fernandes contested as an independent candidate from the Muzaffarpur in Lok Sabha polls in April, and later faced defeat at the hands of Jai Narayan Prasad Nishad of Janata Dal-United.

Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna