Shahnawaz Hussain, Mukesh Sahni elected unopposed to Bihar legislative council

BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussainand Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni were on Thursday declaredelected unopposed to the Bihar legislative council, anofficial said here.

Hussain and Sahni were handed over their certificates byPatna Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Agarwal, who had beendesignated as the returning officer for by-elections to thetwo seats.

Hussain has been elected on the seat vacated by formerDeputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, the term of whichexpires in 2024.

Modi has been elected to the Rajya Sabha from the seatwhich fell vacant upon the death of Union minister Ram VilasPaswan.

Sahni, the founding president of NDA partner VikassheelInsaan Party, has been elected from the seat vacated by formerminister and BJP leader Binod Narayan Jha, who is now a memberof the assembly.

Both Hussain, who has been in politics for more than 20years, and Sahni who is a greenhorn, have made their debut inthe state legislature.

Hussain, who is one of the national spokespersons ofthe BJP, had burst on the political scene in 1999 Lok Sabhapolls when he wrested Muslim-dominated Kishanganj seat fromRJD strongman Taslimuddin.

He earned a berth in the Union council of ministersheaded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He lost Kishanganj five years later, but got re-electedto the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur in a by-election necessitatedby resignation of Sushil Kumar Modi who took up the newassignment in Bihar after the NDA grabbed power in the state.

Speculations are rife that Hussain may be in for a keyassignment in the state cabinet headed by Chief MinisterNitish Kumar who has hinted that an expansion would take placeshortly.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)