In a major political development ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday released its first list of 57 candidates. The announcement reflects the party’s effort to maintain a delicate social and regional balance while finalizing names.
The JD(U) has fielded candidates across all four seats claimed earlier by Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas), signaling its firm intent to contest those constituencies independently. Party sources said that the selection process was guided by Nitish Kumar’s emphasis on inclusivity and grassroots representation.
According to the seat-sharing agreement within the NDA alliance, both the JD(U) and the BJP will contest 101 seats each in the 243-member Bihar Assembly a historic move, as this is the first time both allies will fight on an equal number of seats. The LJP (Ramvilas) has been allotted 29 seats, while Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM will contest six seats each.
Meanwhile, the BJP has released its own list of 71 candidates, dropping Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav and fielding Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and Minister Mangal Pandey. The political race in Bihar is now gaining momentum ahead of the high-stakes 2025 polls.
