Who is Ratnesh Kushwaha? Lawyer who fought PM Modi's mother's AI video case is BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, BIG snub to Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav

BJP has released its first list for the Bihar assembly elections, scheduled for Novemeber 6, and November 11. In its first list, BJP has fielded 71 candidates, giving ticket to some new faces like popular singer Maithili Thakur, while snubbing ticket of Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav from his Patna Sahib seat. Nand Kishore Yadav also won the Patna Sahib seat in 2010 and 2015. Interestingly, BJP has now fielded a lawyer, Ratnesh Kushwaha from this seat.

Who is Ratnesh Kushwaha?

Ratnesh Kushwaha is a government lawyer who fought the AI video of PM Modi's mother case in Patna High court. This video was posted on a Congress official's account. However, now the Patna High Court had banned this AI video. 

He hails from Musallahpur area of ​​the Kumhrar Assembly constituency. He is close to Sushil Modi and is currently a lawyer at the Patna High Court. Ratnesh Kushwaha, 40 years, has been associated with the RSS since his early days. While a student at Patna College, he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). After that, he continued to work for the BJP as a junior party worker.

BJP release first list for upcoming polls

Ram Kripal Yadav will contest from Danapur and Sunil Kumar Pintu from Sitamarhi. The list also includes the names of three former MLCs, one former MLA, a Congress turncoat and the wife of an ex-MP.  Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, who is a member of the legislative council, will contest from Tarapur and another deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha was retained from Lakhisarai.

Sitting MLC and state cabinet member Mangal Pandey will contest from Siwan.  Sujit Kumar Singh, an IRS officer who joined the BJP on Monday after resigning from civil service, will replace his wife Swarna Singh from the Gaura Bauram seat. Some other prominent names on the list include Prem Kumar from Gaya, former deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad from Katihar and Alok Ranjan Jha from Saharsa.

Several ministers also featured in the list, including Renu Devi (Bettiah), Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Jibesh Mishra (Jale), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu (Chhatapur) and Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani), all of whom were renominated. Art and culture minister Motilal Prasad however, was dropped, and his Riga seat went to Baidyanath Prasad.

Siddharth Saurav, who won the Bikram seat on a Congress ticket in 2020, was named the BJP candidate from there, a day after his formal induction into the party.

The BJP list includes nine women. These include Shreyasi Singh from Jamui, Renu Devi from Bettiah, Gayatri Devi from Parihar, Devanti Yadav from Narpatganj, and Sweety Singh from Kishanganj.