RANCHI: BJP national spokesperson MJ Akbar was nominated by central election committee of the party on Sunday to contest the Rajya Sabha bypolls slated for July 2. Akbar, a noted journalist, who joined BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election arrived at Ranchi late on Sunday evening soon after the party released its official statement in Delhi announcing his name to contest the bypolls.

Akbar told media at Ranchi that he was ready to shoulder any responsibility given to him by the party. “I would meet the state president and other leaders of the state first before commenting anything,” he said at the airport. Akbar had a closed door meeting with state president Dr Ravindra Rai, state general secretary Bal Mukund Sahay, state vice president Rakesh Prasad and other leaders of the state committee at the state office and had plans to meet chief minister Raghubar Das at his residence.

READ ALSO: MJ Akbar joins BJP, hopes Muslims will vote Modi

The state committee of the party is meeting at state office on Monday following which Akbar would be filing nomination papers at the state assembly. State spokesperson, Pradeep Sinha said that the state election committee on Saturday authorised central election committee of the party to make a final decision about nominating candidate for the election. “His name has been finalised by the Central leadership and there is no question of opposition,” he said while answering if the local aspirants were disappointed over the choice of candidate.

Former chief minister Arjun Munda, who has also been an MP was being considered strong contender for the seat while former union minister from Bihar Syed Shahnawaz hussain’s name was also considered by the state election committee during its Saturday meeting.

The seat for which Akbar would be contesting the election was vacated after TMC MP KD Singh tendered his resignation, his term ending in August 2016. Born in north Kolkata, Akbar is a noted author and journalist who worked for the Times of India, Asian Age, Deccan Chronicle, Sunday, the illustrated weekly and had served as the editorial director India Today before resigning in 2012. He also founded and headed the Sunday Guardian. Akbar had contested and won election to the parliament from Kishenganj seat of unified Bihar in 1989 on Congress ticket.

