Children of two JD(U) ministers in likely face-off in Samastipur

Chirag Paswan’s party has fielded minister Ashok Choudhary’s daughter Shambhavi, 25, from Samastipur. Congress is likely to field Sunny Hazari, son of minister and JD(U) leader Maheshwar Hazari.

Samastipur Lok Sabha seat in Bihar is likely to see a face-off between the children of two ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, both belonging to his party JD(U).

Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh welcomes Sunny Hazari, son of JD(U) minister Maheshwar Hazari, into the party in Patna. (HT photo)

Shambhavi Choudhary, daughter of Ashok Choudhary, the rural works minister, has already been named by the Chirag Pawan-headed LJP (Ram Vilas) as its candidate and she has started her campaign.

The seat is currently held by Prince Raj, Chirag’s cousin who had won in 2019 as the candidate of LJP, which has since split.

Meanwhile, Sunny Hazari, son of IPRD minister Maheshwar Hazari, joined the Congress in Patna on Friday and is likely to be fielded from Samastipur, a reserved constituency.

Maheshwar Hazari is a cousin of Chirag’s father, late Ramvilas Paswan.

The IPRD minister has, however, distanced himself from his son’s decision.

Ashok Choudhary, in the meantime, is actively campaigning for his daughter, free from any dilemma since both LJP and JD(U) are part of the NDA.

Shambhavi, 25, a Delhi University graduate, is married to Saayan Kunal, son of former IPS officer Kishor Kunal, who is better known as the head of the trust that manages Patna’s landmark Hanuman temple.

In an interview to a TV news channel, she said, “I have never been to Samastipur before. But my mother-in-law is from Samastipur”.

Sunny Hazari is Khanpur block pramukh in Samastipur district since 2021.

In 2009, Maheshwar Hazari has won the Samastipur Lok Sabha seat on JD(U) symbol.