The Bharatiya Janata Party’s new-found ally and prominent OBC leader Upendra Kushwaha is set to contest from the Karakat Lok Sabha constituency, one of the three seats allotted to his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP).
Declaring his own candidature on Tuesday, Mr. Kushwaha also announced the candidature of RLSP leader and former MP Arun Kumar from Jehanabad. The candidate for the third seat, Sitamarhi, has not yet been decided.
Mr. Kushwaha, who quit the ruling Janata Dal (United) and resigned as its Rajya Sabha MP in December 2012, following differences with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, belongs to the Koeri caste. He floated the RLSP in 2013, before the JD (U)-BJP split.
The BJP, lacking in strong backward class leaders, forged an alliance with Mr. Kushwaha last month with an eye on the OBC and EBC (Extremely Backward Class) voters, also a key vote base for Mr. Nitish Kumar.
Of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the BJP is contesting 30. Seven seats have gone to its ally, Lok Janshakti Party.
