The Congress party on Saturday released its second list of candidates for the Bihar assembly elections, announcing five more names ahead of the November polls.
Congress senior leader Anand Madhab, who resign from the positions of Spokesperson of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee, during a press conference with rebel party leaders ahead Bihar Assembly Election, in Patna on Saturday.| ANI Photo
Patna: The Congress has unveiled its second list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, naming five contenders for key constituencies across the state.
According to the list released on Saturday, Shaswat Kedar Pandey has been fielded from Narkatiaganj, while Qamrul Hoda will contest from Kishanganj. Irfan Alam, Jitender Yadav and Mohan Shrivasta will represent the party in Kasba, Purnia and Gaya Town, respectively.
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The Congress had earlier announced 48 candidates in its first list, taking the total number of declared nominees to 53.
Polling for the 243-seat Bihar assembly will be held in two phases on 6 and 11 November, with counting scheduled for 14 November.
Despite being part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress has yet to finalise a complete seat-sharing agreement for the first phase. As a result, some alliance partners are contesting in overlapping constituencies, described as a “friendly fight” by leaders.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a member of the opposition INDIA bloc, announced it will contest six seats independently in Bihar, distancing itself from the Mahagathbandhan arrangement.
The Congress’s decision to release its second list follows the conclusion of nominations for the first phase of the Bihar polls on 17 October. The deadline for nominations in the second phase is 20 October.
The first list, announced on Friday, included key party figures such as Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, contesting from Kutumba, and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan, from Kadwa. It also featured Bihar Youth Congress president Prakash Garib Das (Bachhwada), Jayesh Mangal Singh (Bagaha), Amit Giri (Nautan), and Abhishek Ranjan (Chanpatia).
The ongoing coordination challenges within the Mahagathbandhan—comprising the RJD, Congress and Left parties—have led to delays in the formal seat-sharing announcement. However, Congress leaders have indicated that internal negotiations are continuing.
The Bihar elections are seen as a major test for the opposition alliance, particularly in light of the JMM’s decision to contest independently and reports of internal seat disputes.
The outcome of the two-phase polls will be announced on 14 November, when votes across all 243 constituencies are counted.
Published: 18 Oct 2025, 11:19 pm IST
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