Patna/New Delhi:
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, introducing several surprises and signaling a generational shift in the party’s leadership.
In a major development, Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav, a seven-term MLA and veteran leader, has been denied a ticket. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who last contested an Assembly election in 2010, will return to the fray from Tarapur. Health and Law Minister Mangal Pandey, currently a member of the Legislative Council, will contest from Siwan.
Yadav, who represented Patna Sahib, has been replaced by Sanjay Kumar Gupta, a relatively low-profile BJP state secretary. Reacting gracefully, Yadav said in a social media post, “I stand with the decision taken by the BJP. I have no complaints. I welcome the new generation of leadership.”
Another notable inclusion is Ram Kripal Yadav, former Union Minister and ex-RJD leader, who has been given a ticket from Danapur, currently held by RJD strongman Reet Lal Yadav.
Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha will again contest from Lakhisarai, while several ministers — including Renu Devi (Bettiah), Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Jibesh Mishra (Jale), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu (Chhatapur), and Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani) — have been renominated from their existing seats.
However, Art and Culture Minister Motilal Prasad has been dropped, with his Riga seat going to Baidyanath Prasad. BJP sources said about 10 sitting MLAs have been denied renomination.
The list also features nine women candidates, including ace shooter Shreyasi Singh from Jamui, and several new entrants such as Siddharth Saurav (ex-Congress, Bikram), Sunil Kumar Pintu (ex-JD(U), Sitamarhi), and Sujit Kumar Singh (retired bureaucrat, Gaura Bauram).
With this list, the BJP appears to be balancing experience with new faces, as it prepares for a high-stakes battle in Bihar.