The Congress on Saturday announced Bajrang Kumar Mahto as its candidate for the by-election to the Ramgarh assembly seat in Jharkhand, a party official said.

Mahto is the husband of Mamta Devi, whose disqualification necessitated the by-election to be held on February 27.

"Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved Bajrang Kumar Mahto as Congress candidate for the ensuing by-election to the Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand from Ramgarh constituency," a party statement said.

In December 2022, a special MP/MLA court in Hazaribag sentenced Mamta Devi and 12 others to jail for five years in a case of violence registered in 2016.

Mahto will file his nomination on February 7.

"Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam are likely to be present during Mahto’s filing of nomination," a party spokesperson said.

The nomination process started on February 1 and will end on February 7.

Meanwhile, AJSU Party leader Sunita Choudhary filed her nomination on Saturday as an NDA candidate for the Ramgarh by-poll.

“She will win with a good margin,” asserted BJP leader and Ranchi MLA C P Singh.

AJSU Party supremo Sudesh Mahto said the by-poll is important for the state's politics as the Jharkhand government has “failed to fulfil its promises made during the 2019 election”.

In the 2019 polls, Mamta Devi had defeated Choudhary by a margin of 28,718 votes.