Patna: Just as the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections loomed, the Congress party moved decisively, releasing its first official list of 48 candidates late Thursday night. This action came even as the Grand Alliance, which includes the RJD, CPI(ML), CPM, CPI, and VIP, had yet to formally announce its comprehensive seat-sharing agreement.
The list confirmed several key nominations that had been anticipated or previously signaled through the allocation of party symbols.
Key Candidates and Incumbent Strategy
बिहार विधानसभा चुनाव के लिए कांग्रेस उम्मीदवारों की पहली लिस्ट 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/zat6h8evFG
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The list is anchored by the party’s leadership and strategic incumbents:
- State President Rajesh Ram was officially nominated to contest from the Kutumba reserved constituency in Aurangabad, a seat he won in the 2020 election.
- Senior leader Shakeel Ahmed was named the party’s candidate for the Kadwa seat.
- Pratima Das was re-nominated from the Rajapakar reserved seat.
In a display of continuity, the Congress party chose to re-elect 11 sitting MLAs in the first list, covering constituencies such as Bhagalpur, Kadwa, Manihari, Muzaffarpur, Buxar, Rajpur, Kutumba, Kargahar, Hisua, and Aurangabad.
Focus on Diversity and Notable Changes
The selection also reflects a conscious effort to balance identity politics, with the list including five women and four Muslim candidates. The nominated women candidates are:
- Sarita Devi (Sonbarsa)
- Amita Bhushan (Begusarai)
- Neetu Kumari (Hasua)
- Poonam Paswan (Kodha)
- Pratima Kumari (Rajapakar)
A significant ticket denial was seen in the Khagaria constituency, where sitting MLA Chhatrapati Yadav was replaced by Chandan Yadav. Chandan Yadav had contested and lost from the Beldaur seat in the previous election.
The official release follows a hectic period where the party had already allocated symbols to at least 18 candidates in anticipation of the formal announcement. The final, complete list of candidates for all seats the Congress is contesting is now expected shortly.
