Shahnawaz Hussain, Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni to file nomination for Council seats Monday

BJP national spokesman SyedShahnawaz Hussain, who has been fielded in a by-election tothe legislative council in Bihar, on Sunday stated that he waslooking forward to working for ''the party in the state''.

The former Union minister also debunked murmurs in somequarters that the development was tantamount to loss of statusfor the BJPs Muslim face in Bihar and asserted ''I would haveworked for the party gladly even if it had decided to make mea district unit chief''.

Hussain, who has formerly represented Bhagalpur in theLok Sabha for two consecutive terms, was addressing partyworkers near here, before leaving for Patna where he isscheduled to file his nomination papers on Monday.

''I had recently told Amit Shah that I will remain devotedto the party even if I were not given any major responsibilityfor the next 10 years. It is the dedication of the workersthat has helped BJP emerge as a force to reckon with fromKashmir to Kanyakumari'', he said.

''As far as Bhagalpur is concerned, the affection I havereceived from its people is greater than any outwardaccomplishment. I would have been happy even if the party hadchosen to make me the president of the district unit here'', headded.

According to party sources, Hussain has been fielded fromthe seat vacated by former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil KumarModi who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha.

By-poll is also scheduled for another seat vacated by BJPleader and former minister Binod Narayan Jha who has gotelected to the assembly.

The party has decided to field Mukesh Sahni, stateminister and founding president of Vikassheel Insaan Party,from the seat.

The term of the seat offered to Hussain expires in 2024.

He was first elected from Bhagalpur in 2006 in a by-election necessitated by the resignation of Modi who returnedto state politics upon the NDA achieving power in Bihar.

He retained the seat in 2009 Lok Sabha polls but lost itfive years later. The seat went to Chief Minister NitishKumars JD(U) in the 2019 general elections.

A diploma holder in engineering, Hussain had made his LokSabha debut in 1999 from Kishanganj at a young age of 31. Heended up being inducted into the council of ministers headedby the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Meanwhile, Mukesh Sahni, a former Bollywood set designerwho took the political plunge ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabhapolls, floating his own outfit, disclosed on his Twitterhandle that he has been telephonically informed about hiscandidature by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

''I am thankful to Amit Shah, Bihar Chief Minister NitishKumar and all NDA leaders for this honour. I will file mynomination papers tomorrow, on January 18, said Sahni.

Elections to the two council seats in Bihar arescheduled for January 28 and Monday is the last date forfiling of nominations.

Both the seats belong to the BJP and the NDA withadequate number of MLAs will not have any problem in ensuringtheir victory.

Sahni had jumped ship, exiting the Grand Alliance andcrossing over to the BJP-led coalition, just ahead of theassembly elections last year.

His fledgling party was accommodated with 11 seats givenout by the BJP from its own quota of 121 and it succeeded inwinning four though Sahni himself lost.