Patna, Jan 25 (IANS): The Janata Dal United (JD-U) has cancelled the ticket of Major Ramesh Chandra Upadhyay, accused in the Malegaon blast, a few hours after the announcement of a list of 20 candidates on Tuesday.

With less than two weeks remaining for polling in the first phase of the election, Upadhyay was given the ticket for the Beria assembly constituency in Balia. The names of the candidates were announced by JD-U president Anup Singh Patel.

Soon after the announcement, a trend hit social media platforms where the JD-U was trolled for giving a ticket to an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast.

The JD-U top leadership in Bihar realised that a mistake had been made during the selection of the candidates. Accordingly, it removed his name and announced the name of the candidates on the directions of national president Lalan Singh and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

Upadhyay, along with BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit, was charge-sheeted in a special NIA court where the trial is continuing. Upadhyay was given bail in 2017 and he joined the JD-U in 2020.

Earlier Upadhyay contested the 2019 parliamentary election on the ticket of the Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha from Balia.