JD(U) unveils its first list of 57 candidates for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, including key leaders like Nitish Kumar, Kaushal Kishore, and Shravan Kumar. The NDA gears up for a two-phase polling in Bihar this November.
JD(U) unveils its first list of 57 candidates for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, including key leaders like Nitish Kumar, Kaushal Kishore, and Shravan Kumar. The NDA gears up for a two-phase polling in Bihar this November. (Image Credit: The Hindu)
NEW DELHI: The Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] on Wednesday unveiled its first list of 57 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, marking a significant development in the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) preparations for the polls. With this announcement, both major NDA allies — the JD(U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — have now declared their initial lists of nominees for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
The JD(U) has fielded several prominent leaders in its first list. Party state president Umesh Khushwaha will contest from Mahanar, while Bihar’s Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar has been nominated from Nalanda. Sunil Kumar will contest from Bhore (SC), and one of the most discussed names, Anant Singh, has been fielded from the politically charged Mokama constituency — a seat that has remained in focus due to recent political developments.
In a move underscoring its assertive position within the NDA, the JD(U) has announced candidates for four constituencies that were earlier claimed by Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The decision is widely perceived as a strategic attempt to reinforce the party’s influence and electoral presence ahead of the polls. Among other key candidates, Minister Ratnesh Sada has been renominated from Sonbarsa, Shyam Rajak will contest from Phulwari, and sitting MLA Kaushal Kishore will once again seek a mandate from the Rajgir seat, reflecting the party’s confidence in its existing leadership base.
The JD(U)’s first list also highlights the inclusion of women candidates from general category seats. Kavita Saha will contest from Madhepura, Komal Singh from Gaighat, Ashwamegh Devi from Samastipur, and Raveena Kushwaha from Vibhutipur. However, notably, no woman candidate has been fielded from any reserved constituency.
According to party officials, the first phase list of JD(U) candidates for the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2025 has received approval from the party’s National President and Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar.
JD(U) national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha announced that the party’s second list of candidates will be made public in the coming days. He further stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will formally launch the party’s election campaign on Thursday. Taking a dig at the opposition, Jha remarked that the Mahagathbandhan is still struggling to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement, indicating internal discord within the alliance.
Earlier on Sunday, the ruling NDA concluded its seat-sharing talks for the Bihar Assembly elections. As per the agreed formula, both the BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each, while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan has been allocated 29 constituencies. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will each contest six seats. Following the agreement, the BJP released its first list of 71 candidates on Tuesday, officially kicking off the NDA’s candidate announcements.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India on Monday issued the notification for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly polls. The state will vote in two phases — on November 6 and November 11 — with counting scheduled for November 14. According to the final electoral rolls, Bihar now has a total of 7.42 crore registered voters, setting the stage for a high-stakes and closely contested election that will shape the political direction of the state for the next five years.
