Bima Bharti's Political Gamble in Bihar By-elections

Bima Bharti, former minister of Bihar, has filed her nomination to contest as an RJD candidate in the Rupauli bypolls. A party-hopper, Bharti recently left JD(U) to join RJD. Her move has sparked responses from various political parties and candidates in the region.

Bima Bharti, a former Bihar minister, has officially entered the by-election fray from Rupauli, this time as the RJD candidate. Having won the seat multiple times for the JD(U), she resigned a few months ago to contest the Lok Sabha elections but did not succeed.

Bharti's candidature, endorsed by RJD president Lalu Prasad, has elicited a range of reactions. The CPI, which contested the seat in 2020 under the Mahagathbandhan banner, expressed its disappointment but declared it would not field a candidate against RJD in 'the wider interest of national politics'.

Additionally, former MLA Shankar Singh has announced his independent run for the bypoll, as the NDA backs JD(U) candidate Kamladhar Prasad Mandal. The nomination process will conclude on Friday with voting set for July 10.