Patna,(BiharTimes): BJP national vice-president C P Thakur’s son Vivek Thakur is the party’s official candidate for the by-election to the Bihar Legislative Council schedule to be held on May 9.

He had tried for the BJP ticket to contest the Assembly election in 2010. But the party could not oblige him as the constituency he wanted to represent went to the share of Janata Dal (United). Vivek had unsuccessfully contested the 2005 Assembly polls too.

For the remaining two seats, the JD-U has nominated former minister Manzar Alam and Raj Kishore Kushwaha as its candidates. They are likely to be elected unopposed as the opposition parties do not have enough numbers in the state Legislative Assembly to send their candidates to the Council.

The by-election has been necessitated by the death of two RJD MLCs Badshah Prasad Azad and Ramchandra Prasad and JD (U) MLC and former minister, Ramashraya Prasad Singh.

However, Thakur’s term will expire next year as he has been nominated against the vacancy caused by the death of Azad, whose term was to end in 2014.