Overview
- Phase 1 nominations for 121 seats closed with the Election Commission reporting over 1,250 filings for the November 6 ballot.
- The NDA has a public seat matrix (BJP and JD(U) 101 each) and escalated rallies as Amit Shah campaigned in Saran and met Nitish Kumar in Patna.
- Opposition parties have not issued a joint, final seat‑sharing announcement, with Congress releasing 48 names and at least seven constituencies showing INDIA‑bloc ‘friendly fights.’
- The statutory withdrawal deadline on October 20 provides a window to remove overlapping alliance candidates before the final list is set.
- Ahead of polling on November 6 and 11 and counting on November 14, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani said he will not contest personally as reports of a late‑night INDIA deal circulated without full details; he voiced discontent even as VIP nominees filed papers.