Congress Announces First List of 48 Candidates for Bihar Elections: State Party Chief to Contest from Kutumba

The Congress has released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar elections, with the state party chief set to contest from Kutumba constituency.

New Delhi:

According to the first list of 48 candidates announced by the party today, the Bihar Congress party chief will be contesting from the Kutumba seat.

The list indicates that Bachawara constituency will witness a friendly contest within the Mahagathbandhan alliance, as Left parties have already submitted nominations for this seat.

Aurangabad MLA Anand Shankar has been renominated to contest from his current seat. Meanwhile, the state Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Shakeel Ahmad has received a ticket to run from Kadwa constituency.

The Congress has also nominated Hisua MLA Neetu Kumari, despite her previous statements to reporters expressing her desire to join the BJP.

In the 2020 Bihar election, Kumari secured a victory against BJP's Anil Singh with a margin exceeding 17,000 votes. She garnered 94,930 votes compared to Singh's 77,839.

Previously, Kumari had contested the 2015 election on a Samajwadi Party ticket, receiving 14,188 votes. Though rumors circulated that her apparent closeness to the BJP might jeopardize her candidacy, the party proceeded with her nomination nonetheless.

The Congress party continues to face significant challenges in Bihar. This election cycle appears particularly demanding due to the entry of Prashant Kishor's political organization Jan Suraaj into the electoral landscape.