New Delhi: BJP on Wednesday announced the names of 43 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections, becoming the first major party to come out with its nominees for the high-stakes polls.
Over 50 per cent of the candidates are women and youth while close to 60 per cent belong to SC and backward castes, said senior BJP leader and Union Minister J P Nadda while releasing the list after the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee.
Five of them are Yadavs, the most numerous OBC group which has traditionally backed RJD's Lalu Prasad but is being vigorously wooed by BJP.
Elections for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will take place between October 12 to November 5.
The list carries the names of 26 sitting party MLAs while three sitting legislators have been denied party ticket.
"We have tried to give representation to all communities," Nadda told a press conference.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides all other CEC members attended the meeting chaired by party President Amit Shah.
The party has also tried to keep its core support base of upper castes happy with several Brahmins, Bhumihars, Rajputs and Kayashthas given tickets.
BJP's leader in the outgoing Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav is among those whose names were announced today. He will contest from Patna Sahib.
