Ex Union Minister, 2 Deputy Chief Ministers In BJP Bihar List, Speaker Out

The BJP has released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar election. Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha have been fielded from Tarapur and Lakhisarai seats, respectively. Ramkripal Yadav, a former Union Minister who was once a trusted aide of RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, will contest from Danapur.

Interestingly, Assembly Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav's name is missing from the list and the party has fielded Ratnesh Kushwaha from the Patna Sahib seat he has represented since 2010.

Senior BJP leader and former minister Tarkishore Prasad will be fighting from Katihar, Health Minister Mangal Pandey from Siwan and Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin from Bankipur. Another prominent name on the list is that of Shreyasi Singh, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter, who will contest the Jamui seat she won last time.

Tarapur, from where Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has been fielded, has been with the JDU since 2010. Earlier, it was held by Chaudhary's father, Shakuni Chaudhary, then with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD.

The NDA announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar polls on Sunday. The BJP and JDU are contesting 101 seats each, the LJP (Ram Vilas) 29 seats, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and the Hindustani Awam Morcha six seats.

The NDA is up against the Mahagathbandhan of RJD, Congress, Left parties and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor is set to make a poll debut with his platform, Jan Suraaj Party.

Polling for the two-phase election will be held on November 6 and 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.