Lok Sabha polls: BJP leader Lal Muni Choubey repeats Jaswant Singh in Bihar, to fight as an Independent

BUXAR: Turning down all persuasions of BJP leaders and even a telephone call from Narendra Modi, senior party leader Lal Muni Choubey today filed nomination as an Independent candidate from the Buxar Lok Sabha seat.

The senior BJP leader who had blasted the party leadership two days ago for "sidelining" seniors like Jaswant Singh and himself, turned down all persuasions of party leaders to mollify him and filed his nomination at Buxar after leading a procession of large number of his supporters.

Choubey later said BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi called him up last night and requested him not to contest against the party's official candidate.

After filing nomination, Choubey told reporters that he represents the "purani (old) BJP" and would ensure defeat of "nai and nakli (new and fake) BJP".

Entry of Lal Muni Choubey in the ring spells trouble for the BJP which has fielded former Bihar minister Ashwani Choubey from the seat.

Lal Muni Choubey had lost to RJD's Jagdanand Singh in the 2009 elections by a slender margin of around 2,000 votes. Singh is again a nominee of Lalu Prasad's party from the seat.

Lal Muni Choubey has represented Buxar four times in the Lok Sabha.

A close associate of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he has described BJP president Rajnath Singh as "president of a party of slaves".

The senior leader who associated himself with the Jan Sangh since the early 50s, has also announced that he would campaign against Narendra Modi at Varanasi and even in Vadodara in Gujarat.