RJD wins Bettiah, Siwan Lok Sabha seats

Raghunath Jha has won the Bettiah Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over 35,000 votes and Md Shahbuddin by 1,03,777 votes in Siwan.

Bihar's ruling RJD on Wednesday dealt a severe blow to the NDA when its controversial leader Mohammed Shahabuddin retained the Siwan Lok Sabha seat and the party wrested Bettiah from the BJP to take its tally to 23.

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Fighting election from the jail, Shahabuddin secured a fourth term from Siwan defeating his nearest JD(U) rival OP Yadav by 1,03,777 votes.

The RJD strongman who had succesfully contested from the seat in 1996, 1998 and 1999, polled 3,18,353 votes.

RJD candidate Raghunath Jha, who had quit JD(U) a few months before the general elections, wrested the Bettiah seat from three-time BJP MP Madan Prasad jaiswal by over 24,000 votes.

Eminent film-maker Prakash Jha, whose complaint had led to the EC order for repoll, managed to get only 15,000 votes and forfeited his security deposit.

With these victories, the RJD took its tally to 21 in Bihar, while the party has two MPs in Jharkhand.

The NDA, which had won 30 seats in 1999 general elections, had to remain content with 11 seats.

Repoll was held in the two constituencies on May 24 following submission of a report by an EC team, which confirmed allegations of booth capturing, rigging and other electoral irregularities on April 26.

Repolling was held at 193 polling stations in Siwan and 429 booths in Bettiah on May 24.