PatnaOctober 14, 2025 04:37 PM IST
First published on: Oct 14, 2025 at 04:16 PM IST
The BJP Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for next month’s Bihar Assembly elections, retaining several of its sitting MLAs and ministers while introducing new faces in select constituencies.
Of the 71 names, a majority, around 50, are repeat candidates who contested in the 2020 elections, including Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Awadhesh Singh (Hajipur), Rana Randhir Singh (Madhuban), Pawan Jaiswal (Dhaka), and Vinod Narayan Jha (Benipatti).
Among the key nominees are several senior leaders, such as Bihar Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, former state president and incumbent minister Mangal Pandey, former Deputy CMs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, and ministers Krishna Kumar Rishi and Jibesh Kumar.
Tarkishore Prasad will again contest from Katihar, where he has represented for the BJP since 2010. Renu Devi has been fielded again from Bettiah, a seat she retained in 2020 and where she continues to command a strong organisational base. Vijay Kumar Sinha will contest again from Lakhisarai, his traditional stronghold. Rishi will be in the fray again from Banmankhi (SC-reserved seat), maintaining the party’s presence in the Purnea region. Jibesh Kumar will again contest from Jale, while Mangal Pandey has been nominated from Siwan, marking his return to direct electoral politics after serving in the Legislative Council. Samrat Choudhary, currently an MLC, will contest from Tarapur.
The new faces have been introduced in around 10 constituencies where the party either narrowly lost in 2020 or where it has opted for a generational or social recalibration. Fresh candidates have been fielded in Purnea, Kishanganj, Rajnagar (SC), and Narpatganj, reflecting a mix of youth and caste balance considerations. The first list includes nine women, among them Renu Devi (Bettiah), Gayatri Devi (Parihar), Nisha Singh (Pranpur), Devanti Yadav (Narpatganj), and Sweety Singh (Kishanganj).
The list spans all regions of Bihar, with representation from the upper castes, Other Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, and Scheduled Castes, in proportions broadly reflecting the state’s social and political arithmetic. The BJP has fielded nine candidates in SC-reserved seats and a substantial number from the OBC and EBC communities, aligning with its long-term strategy of consolidating support across caste lines.