Fernandes won't contest as an Independent

Veteran socialist George Fernandes said on Tuesday that he would not contest Lok Sabha election from his Muzaffarpur seat as an Independent but refused to disclose on which party's ticket he intended to fight.

"I will not contest as an Independent....we will see (on which party's nomination to contest the poll)," he told media-persons on being queried whether he would be in the electoral fray as an Independent after the JD-U

refused his nomination. Pointed out that JD(U) leaders, including its president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had said he was not not physically fit to face the gruelling task of contesting Lok Sabha elections, the once stormy petrel of the socialist movement said, "they are lying." Fernandes later left for Muzaffarpur along with his supporters, who had last Thursday claimed in his presence that he would contest as an Independent.