Kirti Azad to Contest Lok Sabha Election 2019 From Dhanbad Seat in Jharkhand: Congress
Apart from fielding Kirti Azad from Dhanbad, the Congress nominated Kalicharan Munda from Khunti Lok Sabha seat.
Ranchi, April 8: Kirti Azad, who in February quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the Congress, will contest Lok Sabha election from Dhanbad parliamentary seat in Jharkhand. The Congress on Monday released its list of two candidates, including Kirti Azad, for Lok Sabha polls in Jharkhand. Apart from fielding Azad from Dhanbad, the Congress nominated Kalicharan Munda from Khunti Lok Sabha seat.
Azad, who severed his 26-year-long association with the BJP and joined the Congress on February 19, is the sitting Member of Parliament from Dharbhanga Lok Sabha seat in Bihar. He is the son of late Bhagwat Jha Azad, a veteran Congress leader who also served as Bihar chief minister for a brief period. He wanted to re-contest from Darbhanga, however, the parliamentary seat went to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) after seat-sharing among Grand Alliance's partners.
Azad won the Darbhanga seat on BJP symbol three times in 1999, 2009 and 2014. Azad, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, was suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015 after he levelled allegations against Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
According to a report, after Darbhanga went to the RJD, the Congress had assured Kirti that he might be fielded from Valmikinagar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar. However, Kirti had expressed his desire to contest from Madhubani seat, which is allotted to Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). He had urged the Congress leadership to demand Madhubani from the VIP in exchange of Valmikinagar.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2019 08:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).