Bihar NDA announces candidates, RS Prasad to contest from Patna Sahib, Giriraj Singh shifted to Begusarai

The NDA in Bihar -- BJP, JD(U) and LJP -- on Saturday announced the list of candidates for all 40 seats in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. 

The prominent announcements made by Bhupendra Yadav, BJP's in-charge for Bihar, include Union minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who replaced Shatrughan Sinha from the Patna Sahib constituency. 

Associated with the BJP since the 1990s, Sinha fell out with the party's leadership in the recent past. Speculations are rife that he may contest from Patna Sahib seat on Congress' ticket this time. 

Union minister Giriraj Singh has been shifted from Nawada to Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency. Singh has been reportedly upset with the BJP’s decision to give his Nawada seat to ally LJP as part of a seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar. 

Chirag Paswan, the LJP’s central parliamentary board chairperson, said that his party was not the reason for Singh's displeasure but he will talk to the latter over the issue. 

Chirag, son of LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, will contest from Jamui -- the Lok Sabha seat from where he had won in 2014 polls, while Union minister Rajiv Kumar Ruddy will fight from Saran. 

Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Pashupati Kumar Paras will contest from Hajipur seat. Union minister Rajiv Pratap Ruddy will fight from Saran.

Union minister of state for rural development Ram Kripal Yadav will contest from Pataliputra, R K Singh from Arrah, Ashwini Kumar Choubey from Buxar and Radha Mohan Singh from Champaran (East). 

The NDA has divided the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar among its constituents, with the BJP contesting from 17 seats, the JD(U) from 17, and the LJP from six. As part of the arrangements, the JD(U) got Munger — a seat that LJP had won in 2014. In lieu of Munger, the party got Nawada.

The BJP will contest on Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Arrah, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Buxar, Sasaram, Begusarai, Araria, Aurangabad and Ujiyarpur parliamentary constituencies.

The JD (U), on the other hand, will test their fate in Purnia, Madhepura, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Siwan, Balmiki Nagar, Jhanjharpur, Sitamarhi, Gaya, Gopalganj, Munger, Banka, Bhagalpur, Nalanda , Karakat and Jahanabad Lok Sabha seats.

Lok Sabha seats of Hajipur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Jamui, Nawada and Khagadia have gone to the LJP kitty. 

Bihar will see polling in seven phases. The dates of polling in Bihar are April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.