Nitish Kumar Loses By-Election In Kurhani, Again. Here's Why

Bypolls in the Kurhani assembly segment became necessary after RJD MLA Anil Kumar Sahani was disqualified after receiving a jail term in a corruption case.

Bihar's by-election for the Kurhani assembly seat has not gone in favour of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his seven-party Grand Alliance. The victor was the BJP's Kedar Gupta, who has beaten Janata Dal United's Manoj Kushwaha by 3,662 votes. The test of strength was the first since Mr Kumar ended his alliance with the BJP and was seen as a referendum of sorts on the new Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. 

This was the third time Mr Kumar lost from the Kudhani assembly seat. Much of it was a matter of luck and timing.

In 2015, when Mr Kumar led the first version of the Grand Alliance, Kedar Gupta won, but as a BJP candidate. In 2020, when Mr Kumar was part of NDA and Kedar Gupta contested as an NDA candidate, he lost to Rashtriya Janata Dal's Anil Sahni by 712 votes.

Bypolls in the Kurhani assembly segment became necessary after RJD MLA Anil Kumar Sahani was disqualified after receiving a jail term in a corruption case.