Patna: In a move that has introduced significant friction into the nascent coalition, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) has unilaterally announced its candidates for 18 assembly seats in the upcoming Bihar elections, despite the Grand Alliance having failed to finalize its seat-sharing agreement.
This pre-emptive strike by a junior alliance partner is being viewed in political circles as an aggressive electoral strategy. Several of the announced candidates have already been assigned party symbols, and six of them formally filed their nominations on Tuesday, further complicating ongoing alliance negotiations.
Fear of Grand Alliance Disruption
The timing of the announcement has led to heated discussions within the Grand Alliance. According to sources, the seats claimed by the CPI-ML include several for which both the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress party are also actively vying. The unilateral declaration poses a direct challenge to the seat-sharing process and threatens to disrupt the unity of the opposition bloc.
CPI-ML State Secretary Kunal defended the move, clarifying that these 18 constituencies are the same seats the party contested in the last election cycle. “There are several other seats for which alliance negotiations are ongoing,” Kunal stated, adding that the party expects to contest more than the 19 seats it fought last time.
Arrest Overshadows Nomination Filing
The day’s events took a dramatic turn when sitting Darauli MLA Satyadev Ram was arrested immediately after filing his nomination papers. CPI-ML State Secretary Kunal strongly condemned the arrest, stating that it was carried out “at the behest of the government” and was a politically motivated attack on the party’s electoral process.
The six CPI-ML candidates who filed their nomination papers on Tuesday are:
- Sandeep Saurabh from Paliganj
- Mahanand Singh from Arwal
- Kayamuddin Ansari from Ara
- Satyadev Ram from Darauli (Arrested after filing)
- Col. Amarjeet Kushwaha from Jiradei
- Col. Amarnath Yadav from Daraunda
Full List of Declared Candidates
The CPI-ML has announced the following 18 candidates across various regions of Bihar:
| Constituency | Potential LJP(RV) Candidate | Filing Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tarari | Madan Singh Chandravanshi | – |
| Agiaon (SC) | Shiv Prakash Ranjan | – |
| Ara | Kayamuddin Ansari | Filed Nomination |
| Dumraon | Ajit Kumar Singh alias Ajit Kushwaha | – |
| Karakat | Arun Singh | – |
| Arwal | Mahanand Singh | Filed Nomination |
| Ghoshi | Rambali Singh Yadav | – |
| Paliganj | Sandeep Saurabh | Filed Nomination |
| Phulwari | Gopal Ravidas | – |
| Digha | Divya Gautam | – |
| Darauli | Satyadev Ram | Filed Nomination (Arrested) |
| Jiradei | Amarjeet Kushwaha | Filed Nomination |
| Daraunda | Amarnath Yadav | Filed Nomination |
| Bhore | Jitendra Paswan | – |
| Sikta | Virendra Prasad Gupta | – |
| Warisnagar | Phoolbabu Singh | – |
| Kalyanpur | Ranjit Ram | – |
| Balrampur | Mehboob Alam | – |
#BiharElection2025 | CPI(ML)L ने 18 उम्मीदवारों की सूची जारी की। pic.twitter.com/2Cf6uephI5
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) October 14, 2025
The party emphasized its commitment to campaigning on core public issues. “The CPI-ML is contesting the elections on the real issues of the people,” said State Secretary Kunal, citing inflation, unemployment, and the plight of farmers as central planks of their campaign platform.
