Patna: Janata Dal-United (JD-U) patriarch George Fernandes will contest from Muzaffarpur in Bihar as an Independent after his party denied him the Lok Sabha ticket, the veteran leader's aides announced on Thursday. He will file his nomination papers on April 1.
The decision was announced after a meeting of hundreds of supporters of the reportedly ailing Fernandes in Muzaffarpur, about 70 km from Patna, his associate Ganesh Prasad Yadav told reporters.
The JD-U had denied him ticket on grounds of his "advancing years and failing health".
Fernandes, known for his fiery oratory, was elected from Muzaffarpur for the first time in 1977 when he was behind bars, after being jailed during the Emergency rule.
Earlier, Fernandes said people talking about his ill-health would get "a fitting reply" after the Lok Sabha elections.
Fernandes had received a hero's welcome from his supporters at the Patna airport on his arrival from New Delhi on Tuesday. He left for Muzaffarpur soon after.
He had planned to walk to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence to demonstrate he was in sound health. But he cancelled the march after being told that Nitish Kumar had left for New Delhi.
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