Bihar Elections: JD(U) Criticizes RJD's Candidate Announcement as One-Sided

JD(U) Responds to RJD's Candidate List

In a recent announcement by the opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) regarding 143 candidates, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, the national spokesperson for Janata Dal (United), labeled it as a unilateral declaration. He suggested that this move indicates that Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, has conceded defeat. Speaking to a news outlet, Prasad argued that Yadav's arrogance and boastful claims have been undermined by his own allies.

Prasad questioned the existence of their alliance, stating that while Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav were delivering grand speeches, the announcement was one-sided. He interpreted it as Yadav's admission of defeat before the elections even commenced, emphasizing that his inflated ego and claims have been crushed by his own supporters.

Implications of the Candidate List

Prasad further remarked that Tejashwi Yadav has little left to offer beyond his lengthy speeches. He noted that the transformation brought about by Nitish Kumar in the state has left Yadav and his associates powerless. With the current disarray within the alliance, Prasad expressed confidence that they are poised for a significant victory. This announcement coincides with RJD's release of a list of 143 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for November 6 and 11, with the official list unveiled on the last day of nominations. Among the candidates, 24 are women.

The announcement also clarifies the structure of the Grand Alliance, with RJD contesting 143 seats, Congress 61, and CPI(ML) 20, while the remaining seats are likely to be allocated to Mukesh Sahni's VIP and smaller allies. As the formal declaration of the alliance is yet to occur, some names may be withdrawn at the last moment. Tejashwi Yadav will contest from the Raghopur constituency, Lalit Yadav from Darbhanga Rural, and Dilip Singh from Barouli, while Ram Vilas Paswan will run from Pirpainti (SC) and Savitri Devi from Chakai.

Seat Controversies Within the Alliance

A comparison of the candidate lists from RJD and Congress reveals that there are seats where both parties have fielded candidates despite being part of the Grand Alliance. In Narkatiaganj, Deepak Yadav (RJD) will face Shashwat Kedar Pandey (Congress); in Kahalgaon, Rajneesh Bharti (RJD) will compete against Praveen Singh Kushwaha (Congress); and in Sikandra (SC), Uday Narayan Chaudhary (RJD) will go up against Vinod Chaudhary (Congress). Additionally, in Lalganj (Vaishali), RJD's Shivani Shukla may contend with Congress's Aditya Kumar Raja.