Patna, Jan. 16: The Samajwadi Janata Party today announced its list of 12 candidates for the first phase of the Assembly elections in Bihar and it features a eunuch, Suresh Hijra, contesting from the Gaya Town seat.

It is for the first time that a political party in the state has fielded a eunuch as its official nominee although there have been cases of eunuchs contesting as Independents and in local body elections.

Kali Hijra is a prominent councillor of Patna Municipal Corporation and her work has made her popular among the residents of her ward in the capital.

?There is nothing surprising about it. Eunuchs are not barred from contesting elections. Besides, it is only in accordance with our belief in the equality of all sexes. Forty-year-old Suresh Hijra is a committed worker of our party,? state party president and former chief minister Ram Sundar Das said.

The SJP in Bihar is a grouping of old socialist leaders who participated in the Jai Prakash Narayan movement but refused to join the other similar streams represented by the Rashtriya Janata Dal or the Janata Dal (United).

The party is part of a loose 14-party alliance in the state, which includes the Samajwadi Party and the CPI-ML.

?We may withdraw some of our candidates after we have discussions with the other members of this Left-leaning front. We believe that the votes of those opposed to the Rashtriya Janata Dal should not get divided as that will only help the ruling party,? Das said.

Senior SJP leader and former Union minister Ram Bahadur Singh said they would oppose the rampant corruption and its ?institutionalisation? by the present rulers of Bihar as part of the party?s agenda in the coming elections.

?Money power has come to determine the politics of Bihar today. We are opposed to this trend and we believe this year?s elections will bring about a positive change,? he said.