BJP announces first list of 43 candidates for Bihar polls: who's contesting from where?

Becoming the first party to declare the list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, the BJP released names of 43 party members on Tuesday who will be contesting against JD(U)-led alliance in October.

The BJP's decision was, however, not wilfully welcomed by its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party led by Upendra Kushwaha.

RSLP party leader Fazal Mallick said that the BJP should not have declared the first list when negotiation to identify assembly seats among partners was still going on. Mallick said the BJP went against the coalition dharma with its decision, The Indian Express reported.

While the first list includes 19 candidates for the first phase and 15 for the second, nine others will be contesting in other phases. The list, which was released by senior BJP leader and Union Minister JP Nadda, was finalised after the meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee chaired by party president Amit Shah.

Releasing the list, Nadda said that the party has taken into consideration several factors while preparing the list. More than 50% candidates in the first list are women and youth and nearly 60% candidates are from Scheduled Class or other backward castes.

"We have tried to give representation to all communities," PTI quoted Nadda as saying at a press conference.

The list includes five Yadavs, the community that earlier supported Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD. However, RJD has now joined hands with the JD(U) to defeat the BJP-led NDA in Bihar.

In the assembly polls that is starting on 12 October, BJP is contesting on 160 seats while LJP, RLSP and HAM (secular) will contest 40, 23 and 20 constituencies respectively.

BJP announces first list of candidates for #BiharPolls with 43 names pic.twitter.com/pU0QPDQHXU

— ANI (@ANI_news) September 15, 2015