All JD(U) names out; OBCs, EBCs dominate lists

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) made public the names of candidates for all 101 seats it will be contesting in the Assembly polls. More than half of them are from the backward and extremely backward classes, besides four Muslims.

The party released its second and final list of 44 candidates on Thursday. The party also came out with a caste-wise break-up of the nominees, underscoring that OBCs (37) and EBCs (22) form the bulk of its candidates.

The upper castes (22) also find a sizeable representation, taking their thin population into account, though the share offered to Muslims has triggered speculations whether the JD(U) has now given up on the minority vote, given its long alliance with the BJP and inability to take an independent stance on sensitive issues like the Waqf Act.

Almost all ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, who are not members of the legislative council, have been given a second chance to retain their seats. Prominent among them are Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Zama Khan, Sheela Mandal and Leshi Singh, besides Sumit Kumar Singh, who had won as an Independent, but later patched up with the CM.