Patna: The final day of nominations for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections witnessed a flurry of activity on Monday, coinciding with Diwali celebrations. Candidates from across political parties and alliances arrived at their respective constituencies to file their papers, marking the close of the nomination process.
Congress state president Rajesh Ram filed his nomination from the Kutumba Assembly constituency, accompanied by supporters amid drums and trumpets. Speaking to reporters, he said he had filed as the joint candidate of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan).
Meanwhile, AIMIM’s Shahnawaz Alam is set to file his nomination from Kasba, while Bulo Mandal will contest from the JD(U) against Gopal Mandal, who, after previously contesting on a JD(U) ticket, has entered the race this time as an independent candidate.
In Aurangabad, Athar Hussain Mantu of the Azad Samaj Party announced his nomination from the Aurangabad Sadar seat. From Obra, RJD’s Rishi Kumar is also expected to file his papers today.
The Purnia region, in particular, is shaping up for an interesting electoral battle, with multiple high-profile nominations. Senior Congress leader Abdul Jalil Mastan will contest from Amour, while former MLA Haji Abdus Shubhan will represent the RJD in Byasi. Nitesh Singh is the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate from Kasba, and Congress’s Mohammad Irfan Alam will also file his nomination.
In a twist, sitting MLA Mohammad Afaq Alam has chosen to run as an independent candidate, while AIMIM has fielded Shahnawaz Alam from the same region, setting the stage for a triangular contest.
Elsewhere, Jitendra Yadav has filed from Purnia Sadar on a Congress ticket, Devnarayan Rajak will represent Congress from Banmankhi, and Shankar Brahmachari will contest as an independent. Bunty Yadav, representing the Jan Suraaj Party, has filed his nomination from Dhamdha.
