New Delhi:
In the first phase, there are 470 candidates contesting in 26 assembly constituencies. The candidates include four former ministers, six former Lok Sabha MPs and the outgoing assembly's speaker Alamgir Alam.
Raghubar Das: State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Raghubar Das is the party's candidate from Jamshedpur East. Raghubar, a former employee with Tata Steel, was BJP MLA from Jamshedpur East and also Urban Development Minister in NDA government in the state. The state president of BJP has shown assets to the tune of around Rs 21 lakh.
Pradeep Yadav: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Godda assembly constituency of Jharkhand, Pradeep Yadav, had lost the last the assembly elections in 2005. Yadav, who contested on a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), lost to Manohar Kumar Tekariwal of the BJP. However he had successfully contested the 2000 elections on RJD ticket from the same constituency.
Dulal Bhuyian: The former Land and Revenue Minister in the Madhu Koda-led government, Dulal Bhuyian, is a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate from Jugsalai. In the last assembly election, Dulal had defeated then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Haradhan Das by a narrow margin of over 3000 votes and in this election, Haradhan has turned a rebel fighting as an Independent to spoil the prospects of official BJP nominee.
Alamgir Alam: He is the Congress candidate from Pakur. Alam was speaker of the Jharkhand assembly before it was dissolved.
Thomas Handsa: Handsa, who was also the Jharkhand Congress chief for a substantial period of time, is the party's candidate Rajmahal assembly constituency. Handsa has represented this constituency in past too.