Ending weeks of anticipation, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday released its list of 143 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The announcement came just hours before the deadline for filing nomination papers for the second and final phase.
With RJD’s list now public, the seat-sharing composition within the Mahagathbandhan alliance has largely taken shape — RJD will contest 143 seats, Congress 61, CPI(ML) 20, and the remaining are likely to go to Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). However, some last-minute adjustments may still occur as the alliance has yet to make a formal joint announcement.
Among the key candidates are RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav from Raghopur, Lalit Yadav from Darbhanga Rural, Dilip Singh from Barauli, Ram Vilas Paswan in Pirpainti, and Savitri Devi in Chakai.
“The nomination process for the second phase of voting concludes today, which is the final date,” said RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari. “The RJD has released the list of all its authorized candidates. All our authorized candidates have been allotted symbols and have filed their nominations. Now, the Mahagathbandhan will contest the elections intact and with strength.”
Meanwhile, the Congress also announced six additional candidates on Monday, taking its total to 60. The new names include Surendra Prasad Kushwaha from Valmiki Nagar and Abidur Rehman from Araria. Earlier, the party had released 48 names on Thursday, one on Friday, and five on Saturday.
However, at least five RJD candidates are expected to face contests against nominees from other INDIA alliance partners, suggesting some unresolved coordination issues within the alliance.
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