Overview
- The opposition alliance entered the Oct. 23 withdrawal cutoff with roughly 253–255 nominations for 243 seats, leaving about 10–12 ‘friendly fights’ that could split votes.
- RJD’s list of about 143 candidates, alongside Congress at 61 and the Left around 30–33, produced direct RJD–Congress face‑offs in Vaishali, Narkatiaganj, Sikandara, Kahalgaon and Sultanganj.
- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha said it will not contest in Bihar, blaming a seat‑sharing stalemate and alleging it was sidelined by RJD and Congress.
- Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor alleged three of his nominees withdrew under BJP pressure in Danapur, Brahampur and Gopalganj, and he urged the Election Commission to ensure candidate security.
- The NDA settled seat sharing earlier (BJP and JD(U) 101 each, LJP‑RV 29, others) and has already launched a coordinated campaign led by Nitish Kumar and senior BJP leaders, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slated to begin rallies on October 24.