Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) the 10 Muslim candidates fielded in the previous election, as the party balances caste equations with community vote banks.
Muslim Candidate Allocation By JDU
The four Muslim candidates appear among 44 names in the second list announced Wednesday morning. They have been nominated from Chainpur, Amaur, Jokihat, and Araria constituencies. Except for Chainpur, the remaining three seats are in the politically sensitive Seemanchal region, home to a substantial portion of Bihar’s 17 percent Muslim population.
JDU fielded Jama Khan from Chainpur, Saba Zafar from Amous, Manzar Alam from Jokihat, and Shagupta Azim from Araria. The BJP has not fielded any Muslim candidates this election cycle.
In 2020, Chainpur was won by Bahujan Samaj Party, while Congress secured Araria. Amour and Jokihat went to AIMIM.
Caste Distribution
Across 101 seats JDU is contesting, the party prioritized caste representation central to Bihar’s electoral politics. The distribution includes 37 Backward Classes candidates, 22 each from Extremely Backward Classes and General Category, 15 Scheduled Castes, and one Scheduled Tribe nominee.
The list comprises 13 women, five current government ministers, and three strongmen candidates.
NDA Seat-Sharing Arrangement
Under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance seat-sharing plan, JDU and BJP will each contest 101 of Bihar’s 243 seats. Remaining seats are distributed among smaller allies:
- Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas): 29 seats (17 candidates announced)
- Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha: 6 seats (4 candidates announced)
- Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha: 6 seats (all candidates announced)
Strategic Considerations
The reduced Muslim candidate count reflects JDU’s recalibrated approach to minority representation while managing coalition dynamics within the NDA. The party’s caste-focused strategy demonstrates its attempt to balance traditional support bases with broader electoral calculations.
JDU released its first list with 57 names Tuesday after marathon meetings and multiple reviews, indicating careful candidate selection processes as Bihar prepares for November 6 and 11 polling.
