Congress Announces First List Of 48 Candidates Before Finalising Seat-Sharing Arrangement With Mahagathbandhan Allies

Patna: In the lead-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress Party has announced its first list of 48 candidates. According to an official statement, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Rajesh Ram will contest the Kutumba Assembly seat, while Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan has been fielded from the Kadwa Assembly constituency. The list comprises 24 candidates for the first phase and 24 for the second phase of the elections.

The Congress party's decision to release the list of candidates before finalising the seat-sharing arrangement with its Mahagathbandhan allies, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has led to various speculations in political circles. The party's leadership has been engaged in talks with its alliance partners, including the RJD and the Left, to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement.

Key Candidates Of The Congress Party

The list, approved by the Central Election Committee (CEC), includes notable names such as Jayesh Mangal Singh from Bagaha, Amit Giri from Nautan, Abhishek Ranjan from Chanpatia, Wasi Ahmed from Bettiah, Amit Kumar Singh 'Tunna' from Riga, Dr Chandan Yadav from Khagaria, and Ajeet Kumar Sharma from Bhagalpur. 

The list features a mix of experienced and new faces for various constituencies. Among the candidates slated to contest in the Second Phase of the election are Jayesh Mangal Singh from Bagaha, Amit Giri from Nautan, Wasi Ahmed from Bettiah, and Shyam Bihari Prasad from Raxaul. The second phase also sees Shashi Bhushan Rai @ Gappu Rai fielded in Govindganj, Amit Kumar Singh Tunna in Riga, and Er Navin Kumar in Bathnaha-SC. Apart from this, key contests in the second phase also include Dr Ajeet Kumar Sharma in Bhagalpur, and Prof. Maswar Alam @Prof. Mushabbir Alam from Bahadurganj.

For the First Phase of polling, the Congress has nominated candidates in several key regions, including, Om Prakash Garg from Gopalganj and Hari Narain Kushwah from Kuchaikote are among the candidates for the first phase. Other notable names include Pratima Kumari from Raja Pakar-SC, Braj Kishore Ravi from Rosera-SC, and Dr Chandan Yadav from Khagaria. The first phase will also see Indradeep Chandravanshi contesting from Kumhrar and Shashant Shekhar from Patna Sahib.

The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases, with the first phase scheduled for November 6 and the second phase on November 11. The results will be declared on November 14. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is October 17, while that for the second phase is October 20.

The Congress party's decision to announce its candidates before finalising the seat-sharing arrangement with its allies. The party's leadership stated that a final seat-sharing arrangement with allies would be made soon. 

BJP, RLM Fields Candidates

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), led by former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, has announced its second and final list of candidates for the state polls. The RLM, a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will contest a total of six seats. In its latest list, the party named former MLC Rameshwar Kumar Mahto from Bajpatti and Madan Chaudhary from Paru. Kushwaha asserted that seat-sharing discussions within the NDA had been completed amicably, and no party had been sidelined.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also made announcements in the election campaign. The party has released its third list of candidates, fielding Satish Kumar Yadav against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav from the Raghopur constituency. The list also includes Nand Kishor Ram from Ramnagar, Vinay Bihari from Lauriya, Bina Devi from Kochadhaman, and Kumar Shailendra from Bihpur.