Patna: Shahid Ali Khan, the lone Muslim face in the Nitish Kumar government has been given JD(U)
ticket to contest from Sheohar parliamentary seat in place of Sabir Ali.
After consultations with JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav, Chief Minister Kumar and senior leaders, the party decided to make Khan its candidate from Sheohar in place of Ali, who was expelled for anti-party activities recently, state JD(U) president Bashistha Narayan Singh said.
Khan, the lone Muslim in the Nitish Kumar government, holds the Minority Welfare and IT portfolios.
He was elected to the Assembly from Sursand seat in Sitamarhi district and contiguous to the Sheohar Lok Sabha seat.
Khan would file his nomination papers from Sheohar on April 17, Singh said.
Earlier, the SSB had sent a note to the Bihar police asking it to verify Khan's alleged contact with two suspected IM operatives based in the minister's home district of Sitamarhi.
