The Congress party has unveiled its second set of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. This latest list introduces five new names, expanding the party’s total candidate count to 48, following their initial announcement. The newly declared candidates will contest from the Narkatiaganj, Kishanganj, Kasba, Purnia, and Gaya Town assembly seats.
Specifically, Shaswat Kedar Pandey has been nominated for the Narkatiaganj seat, while Qamrul Hoda will represent the party in Kishanganj. The Congress has also put forward Irfan Alam for Kasba, Jitender Yadav for Purnia, and Mohan Shrivasta for Gaya Town.
The elections for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the vote count set for November 14. The Mahagathbandhan, a coalition including the RJD and Congress, is navigating complex seat-sharing discussions, with some allies reportedly engaging in “friendly fights” on certain seats as the nomination deadline for the first phase has passed.
Adding another dimension to the political landscape, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has announced its decision to contest the Bihar elections independently, rather than as part of the Mahagathbandhan. JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya stated that the party will field candidates in six constituencies on its own. The deadlines for nominations are October 17 for the first phase and October 20 for the second phase.
In related news, the Congress had previously announced 48 candidates in its first list. Notable selections from that list include Rajesh Ram, the Bihar unit chief, for the Kutumba seat, and CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan for Kadwa. The party finalized its initial list of candidates before reaching a conclusive seat-sharing agreement with its Mahagathbandhan partners in Bihar, including the RJD. Other candidates announced in the first list include Prakash Garib Das (Bihar Youth Congress chief) for Bachhwada, Jayesh Mangal Singh for Bagaha, Amit Giri for Nautan, and Abhishek Ranjan for Chanpatia.