RLD names candidate for Khatauli bypoll

In the Assembly election held earlier this year, Vikram Saini had defeated RLD candidate Rajpal Saini by 16,345 votes

Madan Bhaiya fought the last Assembly polls on an RLD ticket from Loni in Ghaziabad but lost to BJP’s sitting MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar. | Photo Credit: Twitter/@RLDparty

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Sunday announced the name of former MLA Madan Bhaiya as its candidate for the Khatauli bypoll.

The election was necessitated after Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vikram Saini was convicted and sentenced by a special court in connection with a case related to the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013.

In the Assembly election held earlier this year, Vikram Saini had defeated RLD candidate Rajpal Saini by 16,345 votes.

Madan Bhaiya fought the last Assembly polls on an RLD ticket from Loni in Ghaziabad but lost to BJP’s sitting MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar.

The 62-year-old represented the erstwhile Khekada constituency four times before it was divided into Sahibabad and Loni constituencies during the delimitation exercise in 2008. He last won the seat in 2007 on RLD ticket. According to the affidavit filed with the Election Commission, the strongman has two criminal cases pending against him where serious sections of IPC, like 307 (attempt to murder) and 395 (dacoity), have been invoked by the police.