The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, marking a key development amid the ongoing deadlock within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over seat-sharing arrangements in the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for the high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections, even as the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) continues to face hurdles in finalising its seat-sharing arrangement.
The list features both Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha, while Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav has been dropped from the Patna Sahib seat, which he has represented since 2010.
Choudhary has been fielded from Tarapur, while Sinha will contest from Lakhisarai.
Among the prominent names announced are senior party leader Ram Kripal Yadav from Danapur, Prem Kumar from Gaya, former Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad from Katihar, Alok Ranjan Jha from Saharsa, and Mangal Pandey from Siwan.
The BJP has also retained the Hisua seat, nominating Anil Kumar as its candidate.
In a significant change, the party has replaced Nand Kishore Yadav with Ratnesh Kushwaha as its candidate from Patna Sahib.
Just hours before the BJP released the list, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had stated on social media that the seat-sharing impasse among NDA parties “has been resolved through amicable discussions”.
“The discussion on which party will contest which seat is also in its final stages with positive talks,” he added.
Tuesday’s development follows a day after a scheduled press conference to announce the NDA’s seat-sharing agreement was called off due to last-minute disagreements between the BJP and the Janata Dal (United) or JDU.
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On Sunday, the ruling alliance had announced a seat-sharing formula under which the BJP and JDU were to contest 101 seats each in the 243-member Assembly.
Elections will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14.
The last date for filing nominations for the 121 seats going to polls in the first phase is October 17, while the deadline for the remaining 122 seats in the second phase is October 20.
Both Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha, as Deputy Chief Ministers, play significant roles in the state’s political landscape. Their candidature from key constituencies is expected to boost the party’s campaign, as the BJP aims to strengthen its organisational presence across Bihar.
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