The political arena in Bihar is abuzz with activity as prominent leaders officially kick off their campaigns for the upcoming Assembly elections. On Wednesday, Tejashwi Yadav, the formidable Leader of the Opposition and RJD stalwart, submitted his nomination from the Raghopur constituency in Vaishali district. He’s vying for his third consecutive term, hoping to solidify his family’s long-standing influence in this Yadav-dominated stronghold, which also boasts a significant Rajput voter base.
Yadav’s nomination filing was a high-profile event, attended by his influential parents, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, alongside his sister and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti, and party leader Bhola Yadav. The Raghopur seat holds historical significance, having been represented by his parents in the past, except for a brief period in 2010 when JD(U)’s Satish Kumar secured a victory against Rabri Devi.
Adding another layer of intrigue to the electoral landscape, Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP figure, Vijay Kumar Sinha, also filed his nomination papers from the Lakhisarai seat. Sinha, who has successfully held this seat since 2010 and previously served as Speaker of the Bihar Assembly, was flanked by fellow Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, and BJP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Several other BJP candidates, including Mithilesh Tiwari (Baikunthpur, Gopalganj), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), and Sanjiv Chaurasia (Digha, Patna), also formalized their candidacies.
In a significant development, political strategist-turned-party-founder Prashant Kishor announced his decision not to contest the Assembly elections. Kishor, who leads the Jan Suraaj Party, clarified that his primary focus would be on campaigning for his party’s candidates across the state. His party, officially launched on October 2, 2024, at Patna’s Veterinary College Ground, aims to field candidates in all 243 Assembly constituencies. They have already revealed two lists of 116 candidates, featuring the “school bag” as their election symbol.
Notably, the Jan Suraaj Party has nominated Chanchal Kumar, a former JD(U) member and current vice-president of their youth wing, to contest from Raghopur – a constituency Prashant Kishor had previously hinted he might challenge. Kishor emphasized the party’s commitment to proportional representation, stating that their candidate selection reflects the population demographics. Of the 116 announced candidates, 31 represent Extremely Backward Classes, 21 each are from Backward and Minority communities, and 14 from the General category, with 25 seats reserved for specific communities.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is slated to commence his campaign on October 16 from Samastipur, where he will be present for the nomination filing of senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary in the Sarairanjan constituency. Kumar is also scheduled to visit Darbhanga the following day. The JD(U) has also unveiled its initial list of 57 candidates, introducing new faces and ensuring representation from backward and extremely backward classes.