The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar assembly elections, a significant move that includes two sitting deputy chief ministers, ten new faces, and two political turncoats. Notably, the list also marks the departure of the current assembly speaker and two incumbent legislators.
This announcement occurs at a time of strategic realignments within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Following the recent finalization of seat-sharing arrangements, allies are engaged in critical discussions, with the first phase of polling just three days away. The initial phase will see 122 seats contested on November 6, followed by the second phase on November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) also released its list of six candidates, retaining four incumbents and dropping one.
Delving into the demographics of the BJP’s list, it comprises 35 candidates from general castes, six from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, 11 from Other Backward Classes, and 19 from Extremely Backward Classes. The list also gives representation to nine women, including prominent figures like Minister Renu Devi, Gayatri Devi, Devanti Yadav, and Rama Nishad.
State BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal expressed confidence, stating, “Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hon’ble chief minister Nitish Kumar, with the unity of our workers and the blessings of the people, development will triumph once again in Bihar. With your commitment, service, and dedication to the people, Bihar will once again move forward on the path of good governance, progress, and stability.”
The party made notable changes, denying tickets to three sitting MLAs, including Patna Sahib’s seven-time MLA and assembly speaker Nand Kishore Yadav. Candidates were also changed in 19 constituencies, with approximately 50 sitting candidates being retained. A second list of 30 candidates is expected soon.
Nand Kishore Yadav, who was first elected in 1995, stated his support for the party’s decision: “I stand with the decision taken by the BJP. I have no complaints. I welcome the new generation of leadership.”
The list features former MPs Ram Kripal Yadav (Danapur) and Sunil Kumar Pintu (Sitamarhi). It also includes three former MLCs, one former MLA, a Congress turncoat, and the wife of an ex-MP. Ram Kripal Yadav had previously defeated Misa Bharti of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Danapur twice, but lost to her in 2024. Pintu, formerly an MP with Janata Dal (United), joined the BJP on Monday.
Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary will contest from Tarapur, while Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha retains his Lakhisarai seat. State cabinet member Mangal Pandey is slated to contest from Siwan.
Choudhary’s electoral contest comes after a decade-long gap, having last won an assembly seat in 2010 from Parbatta on an RJD ticket.
MLAs Arun Kumar Sinha (Kumhrar) and Amrendra Pratap Singh (Ara) were among those denied tickets.
Sujit Kumar Singh, an IRS officer who recently joined the BJP, will contest from the Gaura Bauram seat, previously held by his wife, Swarna Singh. Other key candidates include Prem Kumar (Gaya), former deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad (Katihar), and Alok Ranjan Jha (Saharsa).
Several ministers have been renominated, including Renu Devi (Bettiah), Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Jibesh Mishra (Jale), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu (Chhatapur), and Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani). However, Art and Culture Minister Motilal Prasad was dropped, with Baidyanath Prasad taking his place in the Riga seat.
Siddharth Saurav, who previously won the Bikram seat on a Congress ticket in 2020, will now represent the BJP from that constituency following his recent induction into the party.
The candidate list announcement follows intensive negotiations within the NDA. The alliance had previously declared that the BJP and JD(U) would contest 101 seats each, the LJP (Ram Vilas) would field candidates in 29 seats, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha would each contest six seats.
However, recent days have seen rising tensions among NDA constituents, particularly within the JD(U) and smaller parties.
JD(U) legislator Gopal Mandal staged a protest near Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence on Tuesday. Bhagalpur MP Ajay Kumar Mandal also expressed dissatisfaction over seat-sharing, citing a lack of consultation on ticket distribution.
In a letter to Nitish Kumar, Ajay Mandal stated his disappointment at not being consulted, questioning his role if local leadership’s opinions are disregarded.
HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi also alluded to potential issues, suggesting that if other parties field candidates on JD(U) seats, he would reciprocate by fielding his own candidates in Bodh Gaya and Makhdumpur.
Despite these reports, senior JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha dismissed claims of internal rifts, stating, “The Opposition knows that they are losing the election. They are planting stories, spreading rumours about what is going on in the NDA. Nitish Kumar is absolutely happy. He is ready for the elections. He will campaign for the NDA. He is keeping an eye on everything.”