Bihar Elections: Grand alliance reveals list of 242 candidates

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday development would be the central poll plank, while releasing the list of candidates for the grand alliance, but the list revealed that he and his alliance partner Lalu Prasad of the RJD have done extensive “caste calculus and social engineering” while deciding the candidates.

A total of 25 women candidates have been given tickets forming 10 per cent of the total.

State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the list and said that the alliance has tried to ensure representation of all sections of the society in the same.

While JDU and RJD are contesting 101 seats each, Congress has put up 41 candidates. He said candidate for one more seat will be announced in a day or two.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, the Bihar Chief Minister accused it of playing divisive politics and not focusing on development.

RJD-BJP combine’s candidate for the hot seat, released the list which, he said, had 55% representation of backwards, 15% SC/ST, 14% Muslims and 16% from the general category.

Oawisi’s party will field candidates in Seemanchal region, almost on 23 seats, which is dominated by minority community.

The party has fielded eight candidates in the first phase of Bihar polls, six in the second phase, seven in the third, eight in the fourth and 12 in the fifth phase.

And this is not only because RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s two sons – Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejaswai Yadav – will make their electoral debut this time.

Interestingly, Muslims, who are about 17 per cent, seem to have got a raw deal not only from NDA but also the grand alliance whose leaders have traditionally enjoyed strong support among them.

Kumar and other leaders were present in the party office while slogan shouting was going on outside the gate.

Few changes were made at the JDU party office before the announcement of the list.

Supporters of Bihar Health Minister Ram Dhani Singh demanded to know why he had not been fielded.

“For past over one-and-a-half year I am running government with the help of RJD and Congress and never got any recommendation to set free any criminal”, he said in support.

The Bihar Assembly polls will be conducted in five stages starting from October 12 to November 5. Votes will be counted November 8.

Both Mahua and Raghopur are adjacent constituencies in Vaishali district, not far from Patna. Former CM Rabri Devi has lost from Raghopur in 2010. Satish was denied a ticket to adjust Lalu’s younger son Tejaswi Yadav, the former cricketer who is padding up for new innings. He recently attended a rally with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in West Champaran district.