NDA candidate's nomination papers rejected in Bihar polls

In an embarrassment to the ruling NDA in poll-bound Bihar, nomination papers of Seema Singh, one of the candidates of Union minister Chirag Paswan's party, got rejected on Saturday.

Singh, a former Bhojpuri actress, had been named by Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) as its candidate from Marhoura seat in Saran district, where her nomination papers got rejected during scrutiny on ''technical grounds''.

When Paswan was asked about the development, he said, ''We have submitted a representation before the Election Commission. The situation has arisen because of a small lapse. Hopefully, it will be resolved.'' Another candidate whose papers got rejected from the seat was Altaf Alam Raju, a former JD(U) leader who had entered the fray as an Independent candidate.

The seat is now likely to witness a direct contest between sitting RJD MLA Jitendra Kumar Rai, who is also a former minister, and Jan Suraaj Party's Abhay Singh.

The seat goes to polls in the first phase on November 6 and, as of now, is left with nine candidates in the fray, since nomination papers of four have been rejected.

The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is October 20.