JD(U) names 44 remaining candidates, drops 3 MLAs

Patna: The JD(U) on Thursday announced its list of 44 candidates for the second phase of the assembly elections scheduled for Nov 11, fielding nine women, including Muslim candidate Shagufta Amin from Araria in the Seemanchal region.With this, the party has declared all 101 candidates under its share of seats in the NDA. The first list of 57 names had been released earlier for the first phase.In its latest list, the JD(U) dropped three sitting MLAs — Dilip Kumar Ray (Sursand), Veena Bharti (Triveniganj-reserved) and Neeraj Mandal alias Gopal Mandal (Gopalpur).The second list features four Muslim candidates — three from Seemanchal — and nine women, including Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Sheila Mandal (Phulparas), Shalini Mishra (Kesaria), Sonam Rani Sardar (Triveniganj-reserved), Shagufta Amin (Araria), Meena Kamat (Babu Barahi), Shweta Gupta (Sheohar), Manorama Devi (Belaganj) and Vibha Devi, wife of former MLA Rajballabh Yadav.According to a JD(U) communiqué, the overall social composition of candidates in both lists includes 22 from the general category (Rajput 10, Bhumihar 9, Brahmin 2, Kayastha 1) and 13 women. There are 37 backward caste (BC) candidates, 22 from the extremely backward caste (EBC) group, 15 from the scheduled caste (SC) community, one from the scheduled tribe (ST), and four Muslims.JD(U) has inducted science and technology minister Sumit Kumar Singh, the Independent MLA from Chakai, into the party fielded him from the same seat.

His nomination followed a noisy protest by Chirag’s supporters during a recent NDA meeting.Among senior leaders, the party has retained ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul), Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Zama Khan (Chainpur), Sheila Mandal (Phulparas), Jayant Raj (Amarpur) and Sumit Kumar Singh (Chakai).Among the new entrants, RJD MLA Chetan Anand, who backed Nitish during last year’s trust vote, has joined the JD(U) and will contest from Nabinagar.

Rituraj Kumar, son of former MP Arun Kumar, has been fielded from Ghosi while Manorama Devi will contest from Belaganj, where she defeated the RJD in a by-election last year.In Rupauli, Kaladhar Mandal will again take on Bima Bharti, who defected to the RJD last year after being expelled from the JD(U). Former MP Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal replaces the controversial Gopal Mandal in Gopalpur.Other new faces include Nagendra Raut (Sursand), Shweta Gupta (Sheohar), Vishal Sah (Narkatia), Satish Sah (Laukaha) and Shubhanand Mukesh (Kahalgaon).