Bihar polls: Congress fields over 10 candidates; no Mahagathbandhan seat-sharing deal yet

NEW DELHI: With just two days left for filing nominations for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections , political activity has picked up pace across the state. The Congress on Wednesday released its first list of over 10 candidates even as talks over a seat-sharing deal with the Mahagathbandhan partners remain unresolved.

The announcement was made through multiple posts on the party’s official handle on X, signalling that the Congress is moving ahead with its preparations.

Here’s the list of 12 Congress candidates announced so far:

• Om Prakash Garg – Gopalganj
• Jitendra Singh – Amarpur
• Amita Bhushan – Begusarai
• Laalan Kumar – Sultanganj
• Rajesh Ram – Kutumba
• Shashi Shekhar – Wasirganj
• Kaushalendra Kumar – Nalanda
• Anand Shankar Singh – Aurangabad
• Pratima Das – Rajapakad
• Shiv Prakash Garib Das – Bachhwar
• Trishuldhari Singh – Barabigha
• Muzaffarpur: Vijendra Chaudhary
• Govindganj: Shashi Bhushan Rai

As per reports, more names are expected in the coming days once discussions with Mahagathbandhan partners are concluded.

The announcement comes amid discontent within the party, as several Congress workers alleged irregularities in ticket distribution, claiming that “tickets have been sold.”

"Dr Ashok Gagan has been working for Congress for 35 years but has been denied a ticket. We are opposing this," a worker named Shravan told ANI, while another claimed, "Tickets have been sold."

Meanwhile, the NDA alliance—comprising JD(U), BJP, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM)—has also faced friction over seat allocations. Under the arrangement, JD(U) and BJP will contest 101 seats each, LJP (Ram Vilas) 29, and HAM and RLM six each.

The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases—November 6 and 11, with vote counting on November 14. The total number of electors stands at 7.42 crore, down from 7.89 crore recorded in June this year.