Muzaffarpur: Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Muzaffarpur MP, Raj Bhushan Nishad, surrendered before a special MP-MLA court in Patna on Wednesday in connection with a 2019 case alleging violation of voting secrecy during the Lok Sabha elections.
The court granted him bail after he submitted two surety bonds of Rs10,000 each. The charges relate to an incident at the Mechanical Office polling station in Sikandarpur under Nagar police station, where Nishad allegedly posted a photograph of himself pressing the EVM button on social media during polling.
The case was filed on 8 May 2019 by Nagendra Kumar, then Circle Officer of Mushahari and Assistant Electoral Officer. Kumar alleged that Nishad, then a candidate from Muzaffarpur on a Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) ticket, violated the Representation of the People Act by sharing an image of the ballot unit and VVPAT on 6 May 2019, the day of voting.
Nishad, who lost that election to BJP’s Ajay Nishad, later joined the BJP. In a political twist, he replaced Ajay Nishad as the party’s candidate in the 2024 general election and went on to win the Muzaffarpur seat. Ajay Nishad subsequently defected to the Congress after being denied a ticket.
Following an investigation, police filed a charge sheet on 27 May 2020. The court took cognizance of the case on 30 April this year and summoned Nishad. Upon his surrender, the court accepted his bail plea. The next hearing is scheduled for 2 July.
