The opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar on Friday announced the formal allocation of 31 of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, speaking at a joint conference in Patna, also announced the names of candidates for 18 of 19 seats the RJD is contesting under the seat-sharing plan.
He also named candidates of three seats that the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) is contesting.
Former JD(U) president and NDA convener Sharad Yadav will contest from Madhepura, JD(U) MLA Sarfraz Alam from Araria and Lalu Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharti from Pataliputra.
Tej Pratap Yadav’s father-in-law Chandrika Rai has been fielded from Saran Lok Sabha seat. However, this seat might see an interesting contest amid reports that Tej Pratap, who recently resigned from RJD’s student wing, will fight against his father-in-law.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has already announced its three candidates.
Tejashwi Yadav said that the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) will announce their candidates soon.
As per the agreement reached by the Grand Alliance, the RJD will contest 20 of the 40 seats in Bihar, the Congress nine while smaller parties have been given the remaining seats.
Congress was reportedly upset with the “arrogance” of Tejaswi Yadav who was reportedly calling the shots in the seat-sharing talks between the two parties in Bihar.
Darbhanga and Supaul were among the two seats that neither the Congress nor the RJD was willing to concede.
However, the RJD has cleared the name of former minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui from Darbhanga.
(With agency inputs)