Bihar polls: RJD releases list of 143 candidates amid Mahagathbandhan seat-sharing uncertainty

The Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday released its list of candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections, fielding contenders for 143 of the state’s 243 seats.

Party leader Tejashwi Yadav will contest from his stronghold, Raghopur in Vaishali district.

The last date for filing nominations for the second and final phase of polling is Monday. The elections will be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.

The RJD released the list amid uncertainty over seat sharing arrangement within the Opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance.

The alliance comprises the RJD, Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party, three Left parties – Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of India, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) – and the newly-formed Indian Inclusive Party.

The Congress also announced seven more candidates, PTI reported.

With these additions, the party now has 61 candidates in the fray this year. The Congress contested 70 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the three Left parties have together announced 20 candidates, The New Indian Express reported.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha which is part of the INDIA bloc at the Centre has announced that it would contest the Bihar Assembly elections independently.

The party’s general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said that the party will field candidates in six constituencies, PTI reported.

On Friday, Pashupati Kumar Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party quit the INDIA bloc, citing...

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