Bihar polls: Congress names 48 candidates; Rajesh Ram to contest from Kutumba

In a decisive prelude to the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress on Thursday, 16 October, unveiled its first list of 48 candidates, signaling an assertive start even as seat-sharing talks with its Mahagathbandhan allies remain inconclusive.

Among the key names, state unit chief Rajesh Ram will contest from Kutumba, while CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan has been fielded from Kadwa. The list, unveiled ahead of the 17 October nomination deadline for the first phase and 20 October for the second, underscores the party’s bid to project confidence and readiness amid ongoing negotiations with allies including the RJD and the Left.

The lineup blends youth, experience, and social diversity. Bihar Youth Congress president Prakash Garib Das will represent Bachhwara, while Jayesh Mangal Singh and Amit Giri will contest from Bagaha and Nautan, respectively. Abhishek Ranjan has been fielded from Chanpatia, and Wasi Ahmed from Bettiah.

In the northwestern belt, Shyam Bihari Prasad takes charge in Raxaul, and Shashi Bhushan Rai alias Gappu Rai has been named from Govindganj. The party has entrusted Amit Kumar Singh Tunna with Riga, while Navin Kumar will contest the Bathnaha (SC) seat. Nalini Ranjan Jha and Subodh Mandal will carry the party’s banner from Benipatti and Phulparas, respectively.

Further east, Manoj Vishwas has been chosen for Forbesganj, Maswar Alam for Bahadurganj, and Manohar Prasad Singh for Manihari. The list also features Punam Paswan (Korha), Sarita Devi (Sonbarsha-SC), Mithilesh Kumar Chaudhary (Benipur), and Umesh Ram Sarita (Sakra).

From Muzaffarpur, the Congress will field Bijendra Chaudhary, while Om Parkash Garg will contest Gopalganj and Hari Narain Kushwah Kuchaikote. Aditya Kumar Raja is in the fray from Lalganj, Sanjeev Singh from Vaishali, and Pratima Kumari from Raja Pakar (SC).

The social representation continues with Braj Kishore Ravi from Rosera (SC) and Shiv Prakash Garib Das from Bachhwara. In the central plains, Amita Bhushan will contest from Begusarai, Chandan Yadav from Khagaria, and Mithlesh Kumar Nishad from Beldaur. Ajeet Kumar Sharma will take on Bhagalpur, one of the state’s high-profile constituencies.

Rounding off the list are Lalan Yadav (Sultanganj), Jitendra Singh (Amarpur), Amresh Kumar alias Anish (Lakhisarai), Trisuldhari Singh (Barbigha), Omair Khan (Bihar Sharif), and Kaushlendra Kumar (Nalanda).

With this early announcement, the Congress appears eager to seize momentum and position itself as an equal stakeholder in Bihar’s grand alliance — ready for the battle of ballots even as the contours of the coalition continue to be drawn.

With PTI inputs