Patna: The deadline for the withdrawal of nominations for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections—covering 122 assembly constituencies spread across 20 districts—concluded on Thursday, establishing the final roster of contenders.
According to a report released by the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, a total of 70 candidates formally withdrew their nominations on the last day, bringing the total number of contestants down to 1,302.
In the run-up to this phase, 1,761 candidates had filed their nominations. Following scrutiny, 1,372 nomination papers were accepted, while the nominations of 389 candidates were rejected for various procedural reasons. The withdrawal of 70 candidates now sets the final battle lines ahead of voting.
High-Profile Rebels Exit Under Duress
The most politically significant withdrawals involved prominent leaders from the ruling coalition who had filed as rebels against the official NDA candidates.
Among those who withdrew on Thursday were former BJP MLA from Chanpatia, Prakash Rai, and Narkatiaganj MLA Rashmi Verma. Both leaders’ decisions are the subject of intense discussion, with sources indicating that their retreat was prompted by the dual threat of “tightening of legal screws” and a “warning of strict action” from the BJP party leadership. Their withdrawal is a significant move toward stabilizing the NDA’s position in their respective seats.
Beyond the NDA, other party leaders also withdrew their names:
- Congress candidate Satish Kumar alias Mantan Singh withdrew from both the Warsaliganj and Pranpur assembly constituencies.
- VIP candidate Bindu Gulab Yadav withdrew from the Babubarhi assembly constituency.
Voting for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections is scheduled to take place on November 11.
