Bihar Assembly by-election: JD(U) retains Kalyanpur seat

Patna: Bihar's ruling Janata Dal(United) on Thursday retained the Kalyanpur assembly seat, with its candidate Manju Kumari defeating Lok Janshakti Party's Rekha Paswan by over 17,000 votes, an election official said.

The JD(U)'s victory is seen as a setback to LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and his ally Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, who had repeatedly claimed that people would reject Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in Kalyanpur by-poll.

The LJP was fully supported by the RJD in the by-poll. The death of sitting JD-U legislator Ramsevak Hazari necessitated the by-poll in the assembly constituency of Samastipur, home of late socialist leader Karpoori Thakur. Over half a dozen candidates were in the fray for the by-election held on February 24.

JD(U)\'s Manju Kumari defeated Lok Janshakti Party\'s Rekha Paswan by over 17,000 votes.

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