RJD Announces 143 Candidates for Bihar Polls Amid Mahagathbandhan Rift

Bihar Election 2025: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday released its list of candidates for the Bihar Assembly Election 2025, fielding candidates on 143 seats amid a seat-sharing stalemate within the Mahagathbandhan alliance. The official list was released on the last day of nominations for the second phase.

Tejashwi Yadav to contest from Raghopur

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will fight the election from the Raghopur seat in Vaishali district. The state will go to polls on November 6 and 11, while counting and the announcement of results will take place on November 14. The release of the candidate list had been delayed because of internal issues within the Mahagathbandhan.

Party finalises candidates despite rift

Before the official announcement, the RJD had already allotted election symbols to all its candidates, showing the party’s readiness despite the alliance’s ongoing disputes. Compared to the 2020 Assembly polls, the RJD will contest one seat less this time—144 in 2020 and 143 in 2025.

Key names in the RJD list

Among the important candidates are Tejashwi Yadav from Raghopur, Chandra Shekhar from Madhepura, Veena Devi, wife of Surabhan, from Mokama, and Uday Narayan Chaudhary from Jhajha. These names reflect the party’s strategy to balance experience and local influence across key constituencies.