Bihar polls: Samrat Choudhary files nomination from Tarapur

Patna, Oct 16 (IANS) BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the Bihar polls from the Tarapur Assembly seat in Munger district.

The BJP has fielded Samrat Choudhary as the NDA's joint candidate from Tarapur - a seat held by the Janata Dal (United).

JD(U) MLA Rajiv Singh, who represented Tarapur in the outgoing assembly, was also present during the nomination filing.

Despite losing his ticket due to the seat allocation, Rajiv Singh expressed full support for the BJP candidate.

"Earlier, Samrat used to campaign for elections for me; now I will campaign for him with all my might," he said, signalling unity within the NDA.

A massive crowd of BJP workers and supporters gathered outside the Tarapur subdivision office to cheer for Samrat Choudhary, raising slogans in his support.

After filing his nomination, Samrat Choudhary said that Tarapur has witnessed sustained development over the past few years under the NDA government.

"The people of Tarapur have always shown me immense love and support. With their blessings, we will carry forward the remaining development work. Our focus will remain on roads, education, electricity, and irrigation," he said.

He urged voters to ensure a landslide victory for the BJP in Tarapur, saying that such a mandate would allow the NDA government to accelerate its mission of a "Developed Bihar".

Political observers note that Rajiv Singh's visible support for Samrat Choudhary sends a strong message of unity within the NDA, particularly between the BJP and the JD(U).

The joint show of strength is expected to make the Tarapur contest a tougher challenge for the opposition.

The nomination of a high-profile candidate like Samrat Choudhary, who also served as the BJP's state president in the past, underlines the strategic importance of Tarapur for the BJP as it seeks to consolidate its hold in central Bihar ahead of the November elections.

--IANS

ajk/svn