The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced its first list of 71 candidates for the crucial Bihar Assembly elections, amid a continuing deadlock over seat-sharing within the state's ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The list includes both Deputy Chief Ministers, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. Choudhary will contest from Tarapur, while Sinha will run from Lakhisarai. Sinha represented the Lakhisarai constituency four times in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
Other prominent candidates are former Deputy Chief Ministers Renu Devi (Bettiah) and Tarkishore Prasad (Katihar), Mangal Pandey (Siwan), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu (Chhatapur), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikti), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Rana Randhir Singh (Madhuban), Sunil Kumar Pintu (Sitamarhi), Ram Narayan Mandal (Banka), Krishna Kumar Rishi (Banmankhi), Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Dr Prem Kumar (Gaya Town) and Siddharth Saurav (Bikram). Ram Kripal Yadav, a former Union Minister who lost the Lok Sabha election from the Patliputra constituency in 2024, has been fielded by the party from Danapur.
Apart from Renu Devi, the BJP has announced the names of 8 other women candidates, including Shreyasi Singh (Jamui), Aruna Devi (Warsaliganj), Rama Nishad (Aurai), Nisha Singh (Pranpur), Kavita Devi (Korha), Sweety Singh (Kishanganj), Devanti Yadav (Narpatganj) and Gayatri Devi (Parihar).
Nand Kishore Yadav denied ticket by BJP
Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav, however, has been left out of the list. Yadav won the Patna Sahib Assembly constituency thrice, in 2010, 2015 and 2020. Earlier, Yadav represented the Patna East Vidhan Sabha seat in 1995, 2000, and 2005 (twice, in February and October). Ratnesh Kushwaha will replace Yadav in Patna Sahib.
Apart from Nand Kishore Yadav, the party has denied tickets to Moti Lal Prasad from Riga, Mithilesh Kumar from Sitamarhi, Dr Ramprit Paswan from Rajnagar, Jai Prakash Yadav from Narpatganj, Ram Surat Kumar from Aurai, Dr Nikki Hembrom from Katoria, Amrendra Pratap Singh from Arrah and Arun Kumar Sinha from Kumhrar.
The elections for the 243-member Bihar Assembly are scheduled in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting set for November 14.
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