The NDA will be Contesting against the Mahagathbandhan of RJD, Congress, Left Parties, and the Vikasheel Insaan Party

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list for the upcoming Bihar elections on Tuesday (October 14, 2025). In the first list, 71 candidates were named. Another list is expected soon, following the seat-sharing rules with the ruling party.

In a surprise move, several key figures have been omitted from the list while new faces get chances, signaling a major reshuffle ahead of the high-stakes Bihar polls.

Key Names in the List

In the first list with 71 candidates, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha have been fielded from Tarapur and Lakhisarai seats, respectively. Ramkripal Yadav, a former Union Minister who was once a trusted aide of RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, will contest from Danapur.

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Tarapur, historically in focus for a long time, is entrusted with Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who has been with the JDU since 2010. Earlier, it was held by Chaudhary's father, Shakuni Chaudhary, then by Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD.

Senior BJP leader and former minister Tarkishore Prasad will be fighting from Katihar, Health Minister Mangal Pandey from Siwan, and Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin from Bankipur. Another prominent name on the list is that of Shreyasi Singh, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter, who will contest the Jamui seat she won last time.

Who Missed Out?

Interestingly, Assembly Speaker and MLA Nand Kishor Yadav's name is missing from the list, and the party has fielded Ratnesh Kushwaha from the Patna Sahib seat, where he has represented since 2010.

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Reacting to this omission, he said, "I stand with the BJP's decision. The BJP has given me a lot. I have no complaints with the party. The new generation is welcomed and congratulated. The people of Patna Sahib Assembly have made me victorious seven times in a row. I will never forget the affection and love they gave me as a BJP candidate. I am grateful to everyone."

Women in the List

Nine women have been named in the first list released by the BJP. Apart from veteran politician Renu Devi, the other women are Sweety Singh (Kishanganj), Gayatri Devi (Parihar), Devanti Yadav (Narpatganj), Rama Nishad (Aurai), Nisha Singh (Pranpur), Kavita Devi (Korha), Aruna Devi (Warsaliganj), and Shreyasi Singh (Jamui).

Seat Sharing Arrangement

According to NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar polls, the BJP and JDU are contesting 101 seats each, the LJP (Ram Vilas) 29 seats, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and the Hindustani Awam Morcha six seats.

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All Eyes on Bihar Election

The NDA will be contesting against the Mahagathbandhan of RJD, Congress, Left parties, and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party. Famous poll strategist Prashant Kishor is set to make a debut with his Jan Suraaj Party.

The elections to the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be conducted in two phases: November 6 and 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.