Bihar bypolls: RJD leads in Araria, Jahanabad, BJP in Bhabhua

The RJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar took a lead on Wednesday over the BJP in the Araria Lok Sabha and the Jahanabad Assembly seats while the BJP was ahead in the Bhabhua Assembly seat.

According to latest data, RJD's Sarfaraz Alam, who had in the earlier rounds trailed behind BJP's Pradip Kumar Singh, was now leading by about 14,500 votes after ninth rounds of counting of votes.

According to election office sources, a total of 28 rounds of counting will take place for results of Araria Lok Sabha seat bypoll necessitated due to demise of RJD MP Mohammad Taslimuddin.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee has congratulated Lalu Prasad Yadav over RJD's performance in Araria and Jehanabad.

Alam, who crossed over from JD(U) to Lalu Prasad's party RJD to contest the bypoll, is son of Taslimuddin.

RJD was also leading by more than 15,000 votes in Jehanabad assembly seat, where the BJP's ally JD(U), headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has fielded its candidate.

There were reports of police resorting to mild use of force outside the counting centre in Jehanabad as young RJD supporters indulged in boisterous jubilations over the news of their candidate Suday Yadav establishing an unassailable lead over former MLA and JD(U) nominee Abhiram Sharma.

In Bhabhua, BJP candidate Rinki Rani Pandey seemed comfortably placed with a lead of close to 10,000 votes over her Congress rival Shambhu Singh Patel.

(With inputs from PTI)