Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday released its first list of 57 candidates for next month’s state assembly elections.
The NDA ally announced the list amid objections from several leaders, including party MP Ajay Mandal, over ticket distribution.
JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said the selection of candidates was based on caste equations and their winnability in specific regions.
The party has retained all its ministers and sitting MLAs, who will seek re-election from their respective constituencies. A significant number of tickets have been allotted to members of the Extremely Backward Classes, who make up nearly 36% of Bihar’s population.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be present when party candidate Vijay Kumar Chaudhary — a trusted lieutenant of the JD(U) chief — files his nomination from Sarairanjan in Samastipur on October 16.
However, a dispute has emerged between Nitish and NDA ally Chirag Paswan over five seats — Alauli, Sonbarsa, Rajgir, Ekma, and Morwa.
Chirag’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) had sought to contest these seats, but the JD(U) has already fielded its candidates. For Chirag, the Alauli seat in Khagaria district is a matter of prestige as it is his native area.
The list includes three strongman leaders — Anant Singh, Dhumal Singh, and Amrendra Pandey alias Pappu Pandey — all of whom have criminal antecedents and are known for their muscle power in their constituencies.
Controversial former MLA Anant Singh, recently released from jail, will contest from the Mokama assembly seat, which his wife Neelam Devi had won in the 2020 election on a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket. She switched allegiance to the NDA during the floor test in the assembly last year. On Wednesday, Singh filed his nomination from Mokama.
According to the list released by the party, state president Umesh Kushwaha will contest from Mahnar, Dhumal Singh from Ekma, Ramesh Rishidev from Singheshwar, Komal Singh from Gaighat, Sunil Kumar from Bhore, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary from Sarairanjan, Ashwamedh Devi from Samastipur, Ramchandra Sada from Alauli and Dr Manjaik Mrinal from Warisnagar.
Similarly, Ramanand Mandal has been fielded from Suryagarha, Raj Kumar Rai from Hasanpur, Nachiketa Mandal from Jamalpur, Ballu Mandal from Khagaria, Kaushal Kishor from Islampur, Shrawan Kumar from Nalanda, and Krishna Murari Sharan (alias Prem Mukhiya) from Hilsa. Former minister Shyam Rajak will contest from Phulwarisharif.
Radha Charan Seth will contest from Sandesh, Hari Narayan Singh from Harnaut, Arun Manjhi from Masaurhi, Rahul Singh from Dumraon, Santosh Kumar Nirala from Rajpur, and Ruhel Ranjan from Islampur. Jitendra Kumar has been fielded from Asthawan, Randhir Kumar Soni from Sheikhpura and Abhishek Kumar from Cheria Bariarpur.
Raveena Kushwaha has been nominated from Vibhutipur, Vidyasagar Nishad from Morwa, Maheshwar Hazari from Kalyanpur, Chhotelal Rai from Parsa, Hem Narayan Shah from Maharajganj, Vikas Kumar Singh from Raghunathpur, Bhisham Kushwaha from Zeradei, Ram Sevak Singh from Hathua and Amrendra Kumar Pandey from Kuchai Kott.
The JD(U) has also nominated former minister Ajit Kumar from Kanti, Ajay Kushwaha from Minapur, Aditya Kumar from Sakra, Vinay Kumar Chaudhary from Benipur, Ishwar Mandal from Darbhanga (Rural), Atirek Kumar from Kusheshwarsthan, Ratnesh Sada from Sonbarsa, Kavita Saha from Madhepura and Ramesh Rishidev from Singheshwar.
Additionally, Niranjan Kumar Mehta has been fielded from Bihariganj and Narendra Narayan Yadav from Valmiki Nagar.
Elections to the 243-member assembly will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.
In the 2020 assembly election, the Nitish-led party managed to win just 43 of the 115 seats it had contested.
