Bihar Elections: JDU’s First List & Seat-Sharing Tensions

The Janata Dal (United) has unveiled its initial candidate list of 57 for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, a move that has immediately escalated tensions within the NDA, particularly with Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The JD(U) has put forward nominees for four seats that the LJP(RV) had reportedly claimed, demonstrating a firm stance on seat allocation and creating a significant point of contention. This pre-emptive announcement by the JD(U) places the LJP(RV) in a difficult negotiating position. The released list includes five serving ministers: Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Shravan Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Kaushal Kishore, and Maheshwar Hazari, alongside other influential candidates like Anant Singh for the Mokama seat. Other notable nominations span various constituencies, featuring party leaders and local strongmen. The JD(U) has also indicated some candidate adjustments and withdrawals. With the Bihar Assembly polls scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, this candidate list issuance by the JDU sets a challenging tone for finalizing the NDA’s united front and seat-sharing strategy.