PATNA, Oct 15 — The Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday announced its first list of 57 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, featuring several cabinet ministers, party leaders, and a few returning faces.
The list includes prominent ministers Vijay Choudhary, Sharwan Kumar, Madan Sahni, Ratnesh Sada, and Maheshwar Hazari, all of whom have been renominated from their existing constituencies. Party sources said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar personally reviewed the list before its release.
JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha has been fielded from Mahnar, where he filed his nomination papers on Tuesday. The party has also brought back Shyam Rajak, who rejoined JD(U) last year after leaving the RJD, and Anant Kumar Singh, the controversial strongman who filed his nomination from Mokama on Tuesday.
As per the party’s announcement, Madan Sahni will contest from Badaurpur, Ratnesh Sada from Sonbarsa, Maheshwar Hazari from Kalyanpur, Vijay Choudhary from Sarairanjan, and Sharwan Kumar from Nalanda.
The Election Commission has scheduled polling for the 243-member Bihar Assembly in two phases — November 6 and 11 — while the counting of votes will take place on November 14.
