Former BJP MP pulls out of Chhattisgarh by-poll

Raipur, Oct 24 : Tarachand Sahu, a four-time Lok Sabha MP who was expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for filing nomination as a rebel candidate in Chhattisgarh by-elections, withdrew his candidature Saturday.

The poll for the Vaishali Nagar seat is schedule to be held Nov 7. The by-poll was necessitated after legislator Saroj Pandey was elected to the Lok Sabha in May.

Tarachand Sahu, who is considered an influential leader of the other backward class (OBC) community that forms about 50 percent of state's 20 million plus population, filed nomination as an independent early this week.

The assembly seat falls under Durg Lok Sabha constituency which Tarachand Sahu represented in the Lok Sabha for four consecutive terms before being expelled on charges of anti-party activities in January.

With Tarachand Sahu pulling out from the contest, the battle for the seat is now mainly between state's ruling BJP candidate Jogeshwar Sahu and Congress nominee Bhajan Singh Nirankari as the the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided to stay out of the contest.

--IANS