Congress announces five nominees for October 23 Legislative Council polls, triggering ally contests
New Delhi: Fresh tensions have emerged in Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan after the Congress announced five candidates for the October 23 Legislative Council elections, setting up direct contests with ally RJD in the Patna, Kosi and Darbhanga Graduates’ constituencies.
The development comes as the Opposition alliance seeks to project unity against the ruling NDA.
Polling will be held for eight seats in the Upper House of Bihar’s legislature. The terms of four Graduates’ and four Teachers’ seats expire on November 16.
According to the list approved late on Thursday, the Congress has fielded former state president Madan Mohan Jha for re-election from Darbhanga Teachers. The RJD has not announced a candidate for the seat so far.
The Congress has also named Sanjay Yadav for Patna Teachers, Manoj Kumar Jaiswal for Kosi Graduates, Rajnikant Pathak for Darbhanga Graduates and Asadullah Khan for Patna Graduates.
The RJD announced candidates for six seats on September 11, saying a decision on the remaining seats was pending.
Its nominees are Dilip Kumar for Patna Graduates, Nitesh Kumar for Kosi Graduates and Anil Kumar Jha for Darbhanga Graduates. The party also named Dr Sanjeev Kumar Singh for Patna Teachers, Prof. Jayram Yadav for Saran Teachers and Dr Rashmi Vinayak Gautam for Tirhut Graduates.
For enrolment in a Graduates’ constituency, applicants must ordinarily reside there and have held a degree from a university in India, or an equivalent qualification, for at least three years before the qualifying date.
For a Teachers’ constituency, applicants must ordinarily reside there and have taught for a total of at least three years during the six years preceding the qualifying date in state-notified institutions at secondary school level or above. In both cases, voters must be registered on the constituency’s electoral roll.
