Outgoing BJP MLA Vikram Kunwar on Sunday backed party MP R K Singh's sensational claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party was "selling" tickets to criminals and alleged that he, too, was denied ticket from Raghunathpur Assembly seat as it was "sold" to a turncoat.

"I substantiate Singh's charge that the BJP has sold tickets to criminals as I have been denied ticket from Raghunathpur Assembly seat and replaced by Manoj Singh, a sharpshooter of Shahabuddin," alleged Kunwar, a sitting MLA. Claiming that he was a committed party worker, Kunwar told PTI that he was unhappy with the manner in which the party leadership denied ticket to him, but added that he would continue to remain a BJP loyalist.

"Please explain to me as to why you have denied ticket to me... Hang me if I have committed anything wrong or failed in duties, but do give a reason for denying ticket to me," Kumar implored the BJP leadership. Another BJP leader and former minister Chandramohan Rai also accused the party of "selling" tickets to criminals and said he was corroborating his charge on the basis of ticket given to the jailed JD(U) leader Sunil Pandey's wife Gita Pandey from Tarari Assembly seat in Bhojpur district by the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a constituent of the NDA.

In potentially damaging remarks for BJP ahead of the high-stakes Bihar polls, its MP R K Singh had on Saturday alleged that party tickets were sold to criminals, a charge dismissed as "baseless" by the party but termed "exceptionally grave" by rivals. Apparently angry with the BJP leadership for not accommodating his candidates in his parliamentary constituency Arrah, Singh said that he would not campaign for the party candidates even if he was asked to do so.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lapped up the BJP MP's denunciation of his own party by saying that there must be some truth in the allegation since it came from Singh.