In a dramatic development ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) suffered a major blow in East Champaran’s Sugauli constituency. Shashi Bhushan Singh, the sitting MLA and candidate from the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), had his nomination rejected due to technical reasons.
Singh filed his nomination at the DCLR office on Monday. However, election officials found his nomination incomplete as it lacked the mandatory 10 proposers required for candidates from unregistered parties like VIP. Singh reportedly submitted the form with only one proposer, assuming his alliance with RJD would suffice. This oversight led to the outright cancellation of his nomination.
Multiple candidates disqualified
Singh was not alone in facing rejection. Out of 10 candidates filing from Sugauli, five, including:
- Ghayasuddin Samani (Aam Aadmi Party)
- Sadre Alam (Apni Janata Party)
- Prakash Chaudhary (Independent)
- Krishna Mohan Jha (Independent)
were disqualified due to similar technical discrepancies.
RJD rebel’s nomination also rejected
Adding to the alliance’s woes, Om Prakash Sahni, an RJD rebel contesting independently, also had his nomination cancelled. His papers contained several incomplete sections, highlighting organizational lapses within the Mahagathbandhan.
Battle lines redrawn
With Singh and Sahni out, attention turns to the main contenders:
Bablu Gupta now emerges as a strong frontrunner in Sugauli.
Singh had won the seat in 2020 with 65,267 votes, defeating VIP’s Ramchandra Sahni by over 3,400 votes. His disqualification could significantly alter the electoral dynamics in this key constituency. Across East Champaran’s 12 seats, 142 candidates have filed nominations, indicating intense competition.
Election officials stress the importance of strict adherence to nomination rules, especially for unrecognized parties. The Mahagathbandhan must now decide whether to appeal and quickly reorganize its strategy for this critical seat.
