Bhagalpur: The United Progressive Alliance constituents, Lok Janshakti Party and Nationalist Congress Party as also their Left ally CPI, have decided to back the CPI (M) nominee in the by-election to Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat slated for November 6.

A decision to this effect was taken at a joint meeting of CPI, LJP and NCP, besides Bahujan Samaj Party leaders at the election office of CPI (M) candidate Subodh Rai on Monday.

Addressing a joint press conference, former CPI MLA Ambika Prasad, LJP's State vice-president and former MP Anil Kumar Yadav, district presidents of NCP and BSP Kedar Nath Shah and Sanjay Ram respectively, announced that Mr. Rai was the ``genuine'' candidate of the UPA.

The leaders of the four parties declared they would jointly campaign to ensure the defeat of RJD's Shakuni Chaudhary and BJP nominee and former Union minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.

They charged the RJD chief with violating ``coalition dharma'' by unilaterally deciding to field Mr. Choudhry, MLA from Tarapur, in adjoining Munger district.

Mr. Rai claimed that the Congress too had decided to support him and very soon the CPI (ML) would announce its support to him.

Meanwhile, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee treasurer Munna Shahi said that the Bihar PCC leadership has demanded that the party high command honour the feelings of State leaders and extend support to Mr. Rai in Bhagalpur and Gaya Singh of CPI in Nalanda.

The BPCC president, Sadanand Singh, when contacted admitted that he had apprised the party high command of the feelings of State leaders, but had not received any official response so far in this regard.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar predicted that the results of both Bhagalpur and Nalanda Lok Sabha seats would go in favour of NDA, citing ``bickering'' among UPA partners.

``The first position at both the seats will be bagged by the NDA nominees. Separate candidates of the UPA constituents are actually fighting for bagging the second position,'' Mr. Kumar told reporters.

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