Bihar Polls: BJP Releases First List of 71 Candidates; Drops Assembly Speaker

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released the first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections, fielding Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary from Tarapur and Union Minister Mangal Pandey from Siwan, PTI reported. The elections are scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results expected on November 14.

According to PTI, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the 243-member assembly. Under the formula, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) and the BJP will each contest 101 seats, leaving the remaining constituencies for smaller allies. This marks the first occasion that the two major NDA constituents in Bihar are contesting an equal number of seats.

Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha have been fielded from the Tarapur and Lakhisarai seats, respectively. Ramkripal Yadav, a former Union Minister and once a trusted aide of RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, will contest from Danapur.

Interestingly, Assembly Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav’s name is missing from the list, with the party fielding Ratnesh Kushwaha from the Patna Sahib seat he has represented since 2010.

Senior BJP leader and former minister Tarkishore Prasad will contest from Katihar, Health Minister Mangal Pandey from Siwan, and Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin from Bankipur. Another prominent name on the list is Shreyasi Singh, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter, who will contest the Jamui seat she won last time.

JDU, led by Kumar who is seeking a record fifth consecutive term, agreed to the allocation of 101 constituencies, matching the BJP’s share. The BJP has gradually expanded its presence in the state, particularly following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise to national prominence.

PTI reported that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, will field candidates in 29 seats. Paswan had previously been accused of weakening the JDU in the last assembly elections when he revolted against the NDA.

Smaller NDA allies, including the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) led by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha, have been allocated six seats each. PTI noted that the seat-sharing formula was agreed upon “in an amicable atmosphere” by top leaders of all NDA constituents, who had been in Delhi for discussions over the past few days.

The elections will test the NDA’s cohesion, as the alliance faces competition from opposition parties while seeking to maintain its influence in Bihar for the coming term.

BJP releases names of 70 candidates for upcoming Bihar polls

1. Smt. Renu Devi represents Bettiah.

2. Shri Pramod Kumar Sinha represents Raxaul.

3. Shri Shyambabu Prasad Yadav represents Pipra.

4. Shri Rana Randhir Singh represents Madhuban.

5. Shri Pramod Kumar represents Motihari.

6. Shri Pawan Jaiswal represents Dhaka.

7. Shri Baidyanath Prasad represents Riga.

8. Shri Anil Kumar Ram represents Bathnaha (SC).

9. Smt. Gayatri Devi represents Parihar.

10. Shri Sunil Kumar Pintu represents Sitamarhi.

11. Shri Vinod Narayan Jha represents Benipatti.

12. Shri Arun Shankar Prasad represents Khajauli.

13. Shri Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul represents Bisfi.

14. Shri Sujeet Paswan represents Rainaqar (SC).

15. Shri Nitish Mishra represents Jhanjharpur.

16. Shri Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu represents Chhatapur.

17. Smt. Devanti Yadav represents Narpatganj.

18. Shri Vidya Sagar Kesri represents Forbesganj.

19. Shri Vijay Kumar Mandal represents Sikti.

20. Smt. Sweety Singh represents Kishanganj.

21. Shri Krishna Kumar Rishi represents Banmankhi (SC).

22. Shri Vijay Kumar Khemka represents Purnia.

23. Shri Tarkishore Prasad represents Katihar.

24. Smt. Nisha Singh represents Pranpur.

25. Smt. Kavita Devi represents Korha (SC).

26. Shri Alok Ranjan Jha represents Saharsa.

27. Shri Sumit Kumar Singh represents Gaura Bauram.

28. Shri Sanjay Saraogi represents Darbhanga.

29. Shri Murari Mohan Jha represents Keoti.

30. Shri Jibesh Kumar Mishra represents Jale.

31. Smt. Rama Nishad represents Aurai.

32. Shri Kedar Prasad Gupta represents Kurhani.

33. Shri Arun Kumar Singh represents Baruraj.

34. Shri Raju Kumar Singh represents Sahebganj.

35. Shri Mithilesh Tiwari represents Baikunthpur.

36. Shri Mangal Pandey represents Siwan.

37. Shri Kameshwar Singh represents Daraundha.

38. Shri Devesh Kant Singh represents Goriakothi.

39. Shri Janak Singh represents Taraiya.

40. Shri Krishan Kumar Mantoo represents Amnour.

41. Shri Awadhesh Singh represents Hajipur.

42. Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh represents Lalganj.

43. Shri Lakhendra Kumar Raushan represents Patepur (SC).

44. Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh represents Mohiuddinnagar.

45. Shri Surendra Mehta represents Bachhwara.

46. Shri Rajnish Kumar represents Teghra.

47. Shri Kundan Kumar represents Begusarai.

48. Shri Rohit Pandey represents Bhagalpur.

49. Shri Ram Narayan Mandal represents Banka.

50. Shri Puran Lal Tudu represents Katoria (ST).

51. Shri Samrat Chaudhary represents Tarapur.

52. Shri Kumar Pranay represents Munger.

53. Shri Vijay Kumar Sinha represents Lakhisarai.

54. Dr. Sunil Kumar represents Biharsharif.

55. Shri Sanjiv Chaurasia represents Digha.

56. Shri Nitin Nabin represents Bankipur.

57. Shri Sanjay Gupta represents Kumhrar.

58. Shri Ratnesh Kushwaha represents Patna Sahib.

59. Shri Ramkripal Yadav represents Danapur.

60. Shri Siddharth Saurav represents Bikram.

61. Shri Raghvendra Pratap Singh represents Barhara.

62. Shri Sanjay Singh "Tiger" represents Arrah.

63. Shri Vishal Prashant represents Tarari.

64. Shri Manoj Sharma represents Arwal.

65. Shri Trivikram Singh represents Aurangabad.

66. Shri Upendraai represents Gurua.

67. Dr. Prem Kumar represents Gaya Town.

68. Shri Birendra Singh represents Wazirganj.

69. Shri Anil Singh represents Hisua.

70. Smt. Aruna Devi represents Warsaliganj.

71. Sushri Shreyasi Singh represents Jamui.

(With inputs from PTI)