Sharad Yadav, Nitish to campaign in Ratlam-Jhabua by-poll

BHOPAL: Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will campaign for the party's candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha by-poll for Ratlam-Jhabua seat scheduled for November 21.

The JD(U) has fielded Vijay Haari as its candidate from Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat, and CPI, CPM, Gondwana Gantantra Party, Rashtriya Samanta Dal and Bahujan Sangarsh Dal have decided to support him in the by-poll.

"Both (Sharad) Yadav and Kumar will campaign for our joint candidate," Madhya Pradesh JD(U) chief Govind Yadav told reporters here.

"Besides, we are also trying to rope in Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to campaign in the by-poll, in which our alliance is opposing both BJP and Congress," he said.

While Congress has fielded former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria from the seat, sitting MLA Nirmala Bhuria is in the fray on BJP ticket.

Nirmala is the daughter of late Dileep Singh Bhuria, who won the last Lok Sabha polls from the seat.

Dileep Singh's death necessitated this by-election and the BJP, in order to cash in on the sympathy factor, fielded his daughter from the seat.

The newly-formed JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance secured 178 seats in the 243-member House. RJD emerged the leader of the pack with 80 seats while JD(U) bagged 71 in the recently-concluded Bihar polls.