Bihar NDA announces candidates for 40 Lok Sabha seats

NEW DELHI: The NDA on Sunday announced distribution of Bihar’s Lok Sabha seats among the three allies — BJP, JDU and LJP. While BJP will contest mostly from the constituencies which have a good number of upper caste voters, JDU’s share shows its focus on MBC voters. Out of the six seats reserved for the SCs, LJP has got three.

As per the arrangement, JDU has Valmiki Nagar, Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Madhepura, Gopalganj (SC), Siwan, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Nalanda, Karakat, Jahanbad and Gaya (SC). BJP will contest East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Ujiarpur, Begusarai, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Ara, Buxar, Sasaram (SC) and Aurangabad.

LJP’s seats are Vaishali, Hajipur (SC), Samastipur (SC), Khagaria, Jamui (SC) and Nawada. Union minister Giriraj Singh, a BJP leader, is a Nawada MP.


Party sources said he could be fielded from Begusarai. The five seats that BJP has sacrificed to accommodate JDU are Valmiki Nagar, Jhanjharpur, Darbhanga, Nawada and Gopalganj.

NDA’s decision to give Bhagalpur seat to JDU isn’t a good news for BJP’s Shanawaz Hussain. Also, JDU leader Sanjay Jha was planning to contest from Darbhanga but it’s in BJP’s quota.

With seats like Valmiki Nagar, Sitamarhi, Jahanabad and Karakat, JDU is making an attempt to woo Kushwaha voters, considered to be the supporters of the grand alliance’s RLSP. Also, JDU seats like Bhagalpur and Jhanjharpur have a good number of MBC voters.

While BJP will contest Araria in the seemanchal region, JDU will put up candidates at Kishanganj, Katihar and Purnia in the same area. The region has a sizeable Muslim population. Buxar and Sasaram seats, close to Varanasi (represented by PM Modi in LS) on UP-Bihar border, are with BJP.