LIVE: Kurhani Election Result 2022: BJP WINS! Kedar Prasad Gupta defeats Manoj Singh Kushwaha of JDU

LIVE: Kurhani Election Result 2022: BJP WINS! Kedar Prasad Gupta defeats Manoj Singh Kushwaha of JDU - The BJP on Thursday wrested from Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan the Kurhani assembly seat where its candidate Kedar Prasad Gupta defeated Manoj Singh Kushwaha of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) by 3,645 votes.

In the cliffhanger of a contest, Gupta polled 76,653 votes while Kushwaha finished with 73,008 votes.

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

The RJD is a constituent of the Mahagathbandhan.

- The opposition BJP and the ruling JD(U) in Bihar were fighting neck and neck with the latter gaining a lead of 1,802 votes after the ninth round of counting in the bypoll for by-election to the Kurhani assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar.

-The JD(U)'s Manoj Singh Kushwaha bagged 34,000 votes, while his nearest rival, Kedar Gupta of the BJP, got 32,198 votes.

-Gupta was leading till the eighth 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.

-Counting of votes for the by-election to Kurhani assembly constituency in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district is underway on Thursday amid tight security arrangements.

-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.

-"The counting of votes began at 8 am. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the counting centre at the RDS College in Muzaffarpur," a senior official of the office of the state Chief Electoral officer said.

-Altogether 13 candidates, five of them Independents, are in the fray though the contest is being seen, primarily, as between the BJP's Kedar Gupta and the JD(U)'s Manoj Singh Kushwaha. Both are former MLAs.

-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.

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

- COUNTING OF VOTES BEGINS for Bye Election Result 2022

- In Kurhani assembly segment, the disqualification of RJD MLA Anil Sahani has necessitated a bypoll.

- Nearly 58 per cent voters had exercised their franchise in the by-poll to Kurhani assembly segment of Bihar, where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and the BJP have locked horns for the first time since their nasty break-up four months ago.

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

- The counting of votes is scheduled on December 8.

- The CEO said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere during the by-poll, and altogether 15 minor complaints were received, all of which were promptly resolved.

- He also said 446 ballot units and 476 VVPAT machines were used in polling. 

- A total of 119 electors voted through postal ballots.

-Altogether 13 candidates, five of them Independents, were in the fray though the contest is being seen, primarily, as between BJP's Kedar Gupta and JD(U)'s Manoj Singh Kushwaha, both of them former MLAs.

-Gupta had lost to Sahani by less than 700 votes in the 2020 assembly polls, which the BJP and JD(U) had fought in alliance.

-The JD(U) is now a part of the 'Mahagathbandhan' comprising the RJD, Congress and the Left parties.

- Nitish Kumar stepped down as chief minister in 2014 when he had accepted the moral responsibility for the JD(U)'s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls. Hope he will do the same when results come out for Kurhani, said Sushil Kumar Modi, a senior BJP leader and a former deputy CM of Bihar.

-The Mahagathbandhan's campaign in Kurhani was marked by flagrant misuse of power. Money was splurged and liquor was freely distributed despite prohibition law. The administration turned a blind eye. But, the people have snubbed the ruling alliance, alleged Sushil Modi.

-The contention was, however, summarily rejected by JD(U) parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha, who had campaigned intensively in the by-poll.

-We had expected to do well. After the by-poll, I can say that our performance is going to exceed expectations. We are going to win by a huge margin.