Education Minister in the Nitish Kumar government P K Shahi today announced he will contest the Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat in the bypoll to be held later this year and seek to wrest the prestigious seat from the RJD.
Speaking at a function, Shahi said he will contest the bypoll on Maharajganj parliamentary seat on the direction of the JD(U) leadership and launch a mass contact programme after the conclusion of the budget session of the state legislature next week.
It is for the first time that the Education Minister has revealed the party's decision to put him up as its candidate from Maharajganj parliamentary seat against the RJD as indications in this regard was already doing the rounds.
The Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat has fallen vacant following death of the incumbent RJD MP Umashankar Singh earlier.
The RJD is likely to put up senior leader Prabhunath Singh as its candidate, the party sources said.
Singh, then the JD(U) nominee, had lost the elections to the late Umashankar Singh from Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat in 2009 general elections.
