AAP Announces Fourth List of 12 Candidates, Contesting 132 Seats in Bihar

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on October 20, 2025, unveiled its fourth list of 12 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections, bringing the total number of announced nominees to 132 across the state's 243 constituencies. Contesting independently without alliances, AAP is positioning itself as a fresh alternative in a polarised race dominated by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the fragmented opposition Mahagathbandhan.

Key inclusions in the latest list feature Kumar Kunal from Madhuban, Brij Bhushan (Navin) from Supaul, and Anil Kumar from Gaya Town, reflecting the party's strategy to field a mix of local leaders with administrative and grassroots experience. This release comes amid escalating campaign fervour, with the nomination deadline for the second phase of polling—covering 122 seats—falling on the same day, heightening the stakes for all contenders.

The AAP's aggressive rollout follows its third list of 50 candidates announced on October 18, signalling a rapid push to consolidate its presence in Bihar, where it has historically struggled against entrenched regional heavyweights. Unlike the opposition's ongoing seat-sharing impasse, AAP's solo bid allows flexibility in targeting urban and semi-urban pockets disillusioned with traditional parties. The Bihar polls, scheduled for November 6 (121 seats) and November 11 (122 seats), with results on November 14, represent a high-stakes battleground for national narratives on governance, caste dynamics, and economic revival. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U)-BJP-led NDA has already finalised its alliance formula, with the BJP declaring candidates for all 101 allotted seats, enabling early groundwork in strongholds like Patna and Gaya.

In stark contrast, the Mahagathbandhan—comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and smaller partners—continues to grapple with internal discord, failing to announce a unified seat-sharing pact even as the first-phase withdrawal deadline arrived today. The Congress, a key ally, released its second candidate list on October 19, building on an initial 48 names from October 17, but the delay has sown confusion among workers. Compounding the rift, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) declared its decision to contest solo on October 19, citing unresolved negotiations for the first phase. This disarray risks ceding ground to the NDA, which benefits from coordinated efforts and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned campaign launch on October 24, potentially including rallies in key battlegrounds.

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As Bihar's 7.5 crore voters—renowned for high turnout and caste-based mobilisation—prepare to decide the next government, the elections underscore broader challenges like unemployment, migration, and infrastructure deficits. AAP's independent foray, though ambitious, faces an uphill climb against the NDA's incumbency advantage and the opposition's potential fragmentation. With nominations closing and campaigns intensifying, the coming weeks will test whether AAP's anti-corruption pitch resonates or if Bihar's electorate prioritises familiar alliances amid pressing livelihood concerns.

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