Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) has officially revealed its full list of 101 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. A significant majority of these nominees hail from the backward and extremely backward classes, reflecting a key strategic focus, with four Muslim candidates also included.
This comprehensive announcement follows the release of an initial list, with many candidates already having submitted their nomination papers since Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
The JD(U) provided a detailed breakdown of its selections by caste, highlighting that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with 37 candidates and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) with 22, together constitute the largest portion of their chosen representatives. These groups have historically been a strong base for the party.
While upper castes also received a notable share with 22 candidates, proportionate to their demographic presence, the limited number of Muslim candidates has ignited speculation. Observers are questioning whether the JD(U), particularly given its long-standing alliance with the BJP and perceived hesitation on sensitive minority issues, is reconsidering its traditional appeal to the minority vote.
Nearly all current ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, who are not serving in the legislative council, have been granted another opportunity to contest and retain their constituencies.
Key figures receiving nominations include Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Zama Khan, Sheela Mandal, and Leshi Singh. Also notably, Sumit Kumar Singh, who secured the Chakai seat as an independent in 2020 before aligning with the Chief Minister – an old acquaintance of his late father, Narendra Singh – and subsequently joining the cabinet, has been renominated.
New entrant Vibha Devi, who switched to the JD(U) just days ago, is set to defend her Nawada seat, which she previously won in 2020 under the RJD banner. Meanwhile, Chetan Anand, the current MLA for Sheohar, will now contest from Nabinagar.
The Sheohar constituency, where the incumbent MLA’s mother is the local JD(U) Member of Parliament, has been allocated to Shweta Gupta. Ms. Gupta, a medical practitioner from Sitamarhi, previously had ties with the BJP.
This strategic shift likely considers the caste dynamics of the regions. Aurangabad district, including Nabinagar, is a known Rajput stronghold, often referred to as ‘Chittorgarh of Bihar,’ while Sheohar has a significant Vaishya population.
Controversial figure Anant Singh, a politician with a past reputation, has also received a ticket from Mokama. Singh had left the JD(U) ten years ago to contest as an independent and later for the RJD.
Another defector from the RJD to receive a ticket is Bulo Mandal, a former Member of Parliament from Bhagalpur, who had been out of active political contention since his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Several former MPs, including Dulal Chandra Goswami, Mahabali Singh, and Chandraeshwar Chandravanshi, who were unsuccessful in retaining their parliamentary seats in the recent general elections, have been given an opportunity for political resurgence through Assembly tickets.
Despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s consistent advocacy for women’s reservation in legislative bodies, the JD(U) has nominated only 13 women, representing less than 15% of the total candidates.
The elections for the 243-member Assembly are scheduled to take place in two phases, on November 6 and November 11.