JD(U) Announces Candidates For 16 Lok Sabha Seats In Bihar: Key Highlights

The Janata Dal-United (JD(U)), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, recently disclosed the names of candidates for 16 constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The announcement was made by the party's national vice president, Vashishth Narayan Singh, in the presence of several other senior JD(U) leaders.

Notably, the JD(U) has opted to drop two sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and has instead fielded two turncoats in these constituencies. Former JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh has been nominated as the candidate from Munger.

Among the seats where sitting MPs have been replaced are Sitamarhi, where legislative council chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur will contest, marking his debut in parliamentary elections. In Siwan, Vijay Laxmi Kushwaha received the party ticket just a day after joining JD(U), along with her husband Ramesh Singh Kushwaha, the former state president of Rashtriya Lok Morcha, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Another turncoat who secured a party ticket is Lovely Anand, wife of influential figure Anand Mohan, who will contest from the Sheohar seat. Lovely Anand, a former MP and two-time MLA, recently switched allegiance from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to JD(U).

Additionally, several other candidates have been selected by JD(U) for different constituencies. Chandeshwar Chandravanshi will contest from Jahanabad, Kaushalendra from Nalanda, Lalan Singh from Munger, Ajay Mandal from Bhagalpur, Dr. Alok Suman from Gopalganj, Girdhari Yadav from Banka, Rampreet Mandal from Jhanjharpur, Dulalchand Goswami from Katihar, Dinesh Chandra Yadav from Madhepura, Santosh Kushwaha from Purnia, Dileshwar Kamat from Supaul, Sunil Kumar from Valmiki Nagar, Vijaylakshmi from Siwan, and Mujahid Alam from Kishanganj.