Patna: The JD (U) led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled its list of candidates for 16 parliamentary constituencies in Bihar ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections. The announcement, made by national vice president Bashishtha Narayan Singh alongside senior party figures at party office in Patna on Sunday, revealed that 12 incumbent MPs have been nominated to contest from their respective constituencies, while replacements have been introduced for two sitting MPs from Sitamarhi and Siwan.
Sunil Kumar ‘Pintu’ and Kavita Singh, the outgoing MPs from Sitamarhi and Siwan respectively, have been denied tickets, paving the way for legislative council chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur and Vijaylaxmi Devi, who recently joined JD(U) alongside her husband Ramesh Singh Thakur, to assume the candidacy.
According to JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, the candidate list reflects a diverse cross-section of Bihar’s demographics, comprising “six OBCs, five EBCs, one Mahadalit, a Muslim, and three from the upper castes,” with representation also allocated for two women. Jha emphasized that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who also serves as the party president, played a pivotal role in finalizing the selections, maintaining continuity with sitting MPs in most cases but effecting changes where necessary.
Among the incumbent MPs vying for reelection are former JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan alias ‘Lalan’ Singh (Munger) and Nalanda MP Kaushalendra Kumar, seeking a fourth consecutive term from a constituency previously held by Nitish and his mentor George Fernandes. Purnea MP Santosh Kumar Kushwaha, aiming for a third consecutive victory, also features prominently in the lineup, having weathered the Modi wave in 2014 and retained his seat in 2019 following JD(U)’s realignment with BJP.
The remaining JD(U) candidates include Sunil Kumar (Valmiki Nagar), Ramprit Mandal (Jhanjharpur), Dileshwar Kamait (Supaul), Dulal Chandra Goswami (Katihar), Dinesh Chandra Yadav (Madhepura), Ajay Kumar Mandal (Bhagalpur), Giridhari Yadav (Banka), and Chandreshwar Prasad Chandravanshi (Jehanabad), all incumbent MPs securing tickets for their respective constituencies.
Under the seat-sharing agreement within the NDA coalition, JD(U) has been allocated 16 out of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats, maintaining its current representation in the lower house but one seat less than its previous contestation five years ago. Notably, this allocation marks a departure from previous arrangements, with the BJP securing more seats than the JD(U) in Bihar for the first time, signaling a shift in their political dynamics following their recent alliance.
