Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) announced its first list of 57 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls on Wednesday, securing five constituencies previously eyed by ally Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a development that underscores assertive bargaining within the National Democratic Alliance ahead of the November contests.

Issued a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party disclosed its nominees, the JDU roster includes five sitting ministers who have retained their positions. These are Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar from Nalanda, Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary from Sarairanjan, Information and Public Relations Minister Maheshwar Hazari from Kalyanpur, Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni from Bahadurpur, and Prohibition Minister Ratnesh Sada from Sonbarsa. The list also features prominent leaders such as Anant Kumar Singh and four women candidates, namely Kavita Saha in Madhepura, Komal Singh in Gaighat, Ashwamedh Devi in Samastipur, and Raveena Kushwaha in Vibhutipur.

Among the 57 selections, 30 are new faces, while 27 are incumbents or prior contestants, indicating a balanced approach to ticket distribution. In the NDA's arrangement for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly, JDU and BJP each contest 101 seats, with the remainder assigned to Paswan's party, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

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The contested seats include Morwa, Sonbarsa, Rajgir, Gaighat, and Matihani, where JDU has now fielded candidates despite expectations that they would be allotted to Paswan. Sources within the alliance reveal that Nitish Kumar prioritized retaining these, leading to the decision. In the 2020 assembly elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal won Morwa and Gaighat, JDU secured Rajgir and Sonbarsa, and Matihani went to the Lok Janshakti Party's Rajkumar Singh, who later joined JDU.

Paswan, fresh from a clean sweep of five Lok Sabha seats in 2024 and holding a union ministerial post, had pushed aggressively for a larger share to strengthen his base, recalling his independent 2020 campaign that impacted NDA performance in several constituencies. This overlap has reportedly caused displeasure in his camp, potentially affecting coalition unity as parties prepare for the polls.

Political observers note that Nitish Kumar's stance reinforces JDU's influence in seat negotiations, protecting key areas of strength amid evolving alliance equations. The BJP has accommodated the adjustment, highlighting the chief minister's pivotal role in Bihar's NDA framework.

With voting scheduled for November 6 and 11, and counting on November 14, the announcements mark the intensification of electoral preparations. The opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, may seek to exploit any perceived discord. Further candidate lists from allies are anticipated, as the focus shifts to campaigns centered on governance, caste dynamics, and development issues. The JDU's selections emphasize winnability based on local feedback, setting the stage for a competitive battle in the state.

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