Overview

• The BJP named candidates for 71 of its 101 seats, fielding deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai) and dropping seven-term MLA and Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav from Patna Sahib.
• The NDA seat split stands at BJP 101, JD(U) 101, LJP (Ram Vilas) 29, HAM(S) 6 and RLM 6, even as reports described friction over allocations to LJP, late-night huddles and a cancelled joint press conference.
• Nitish Kumar distributed JD(U) tickets directly from his residence, prompting visible dissent from some party figures, while HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi named all six of his party’s candidates.
• The Mahagathbandhan has yet to announce its seat formula, with talks described as ongoing and a reported sticking point over Congress seeking about 60 seats versus the RJD’s reluctance to go beyond roughly 55.
• Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj said it has announced 65 candidates, adding a new force to a contest racing toward the October 17 first-phase nomination deadline before voting on November 6 and 11 and results on November 14.