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Elections

BJP Releases First List of 71 Candidates for Bihar Assembly Elections

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, marking a significant reshuffle that drops 11 sitting MLAs and introduces several fresh faces. The list includes a substantial number of candidates from Dalit, OBC, EBC, and SC/ST communities, with around 50% of the total candidates hailing from these communities.

The list includes several notable changes, such as the replacement of seven-time MLA and speaker Nand Kishore Yadav in Patna Sahib by Ratnesh Kushwaha. Former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav will contest from Danapur, while Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha will fight from Tarapur and Lakhisarai respectively. The list also includes 13 ministers and nine women candidates.

As the uncertainty within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over seat-sharing continues, the BJP's announcement has added to the suspense. The alliance's plans to jointly release candidates have been delayed, and talks with key ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have been resumed after days of uncertainty.

Key Takeaways:

  • BJP's first list of 71 candidates for Bihar assembly elections includes a significant number of candidates from Dalit, OBC, EBC, and SC/ST communities, with around 50% of the total candidates hailing from these communities.
  • The list includes notable changes, such as the replacement of seven-time MLA and speaker Nand Kishore Yadav in Patna Sahib by Ratnesh Kushwaha.
  • Former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav will contest from Danapur, while Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha will fight from Tarapur and Lakhisarai respectively.
  • The list includes 13 ministers and nine women candidates.
  • Deputy CM Choudhary maintains a show of unity, stating that all NDA parties are fully prepared and united under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.
  • Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan expresses confidence that the governing alliance will return to office after Nov 14.

Statistics:

  • 71 candidates listed by BJP for Bihar assembly elections.
  • Around 50% of the candidates come from Dalit, OBC, EBC, and SC/ST communities.
  • 17 OBC candidates, 11 EBC candidates, and six SC/ST candidates are included in the list.
  • 11 Bhumihars, seven Brahmins, and 15 Rajputs are among the upper-caste candidates.
  • 13 ministers and nine women candidates are included in the list.
  • 11 sitting MLAs have been dropped from the list.

Sources:

  • TNN Patna: Amid lingering uncertainty within NDA over seat-sharing, BJP Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for Bihar assembly elections.
  • Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan: "99% of NDA seats" had been decided and a final call would come soon.
  • Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary: All NDA parties are fully prepared and united under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.
  • Former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav: Contesting from Danapur.
  • BJP spokesman Prabhakar Mishra: The list includes 17 OBCs, 11 EBCs, and six from SC/ST groups.

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