Patna, July 30 - Barely able to walk, a frail George Fernandes, helped along by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leaders, Thursday filed his nomination papers as a party candidate for a Rajya Sabha by-election from Bihar.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of JD-U, who had been held responsible for Fernandes' defeat in the Lok Sabha polls this April-May, said that there were 'no differences' with the veteran politician.

Fernandes, 78, was accompanied by JD-U leaders and party workers when he filed his papers.

The by-poll was necessitated by the resignation of JD-U national president Sharad Yadav following his election to Lok Sabha from Madhepura.

'I simply asked George Fernandes whether he was keen to go to Rajya Sabha, he said yes and I invited him here to file his papers,' Nitish Kumar said Thursday.

Kumar said that there was no differences with Fernandes.

The JD-U in March this year denied Fernandes a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections on grounds of his 'advancing years and failing health'.

Fernandes contested as an independent candidate from Muzaffarpur in the Lok Sabha polls and was defeated.