As per the formula announced by the NDA earlier this week, the JD(U) has been assigned 16 out of the state’s 40 seats, equivalent to its current strength in the Lok Sabha but one less than the number it had contested five years ago.The party will be contesting the Muslim-majority constituency of Kishanganj, which it had lost in 2019, reposing its trust in Mujahid Alam, who was defeated by the Congress winner by a margin of less than 35,000 votes.Besides, the party has given up its sitting seat of Karakat, represented by Mahabali Singh, for ally Rashtriya Lok Morcha, headed by former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, but got Sheohar, which was previously held by BJP.The JD(U)’s Sheohar candidate will be Lovely Anand, wife of mafia don-turned-politician Anand Mohan and mother of RJD MLA Chetan Anand who crossed over to the NDA during the assembly’s budget session last month.According to Sanjay Jha, the list of candidates includes “six OBCs, five EBCs, one Mahadalit, a Muslim and three from the upper castes. There are also two women. Care has been taken to ensure that all sections of the society get a fair representation”.The party is contesting only one of the six reserved constituencies in Bihar, Gopalganj, where sitting MP Alok Suman will seek re-election.
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