The Congress has decided to withdraw its candidate in Hilsa for the Bihar assembly election and support Lok Janshakti Party's Ranjit Singh, alias Ranjit Don, the main accused in the 2003 Common Admission Test question paper leak.

Hilsa in Nalanda district votes on February 23 in the third and final phase of the elections.

• CAT paper leak scam kingpin is LJP candidate

Ranjit Don is lodged in the Beur jail in Patna.

The don is no newcomer to politics. Last year, he tried to get an LJP ticket to contest elections from Nalanda, but no political party was ready to take him in. He contested as an independent candidate from Begusarai and lost.

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Ranjit and three others in 2003 for the CAT papers leak.

Congress leader Wasim Ahmad said besides Ranjit Don, the party would also support two other LJP candidates, as per an agreement between the two parties.