Political turmoil due to BJP’s first candidate list in Bihar. There has been a major reshuffle on 4 seats of Patna among 71 candidates. 7-time MLA Nandkishore Yadav’s ticket canceled, new faces got a chance. This change is a strategy of youth leadership and ethnic balancing.
Patna: There was a big political upheaval in the politics of Bihar as soon as the first candidate list of BJP was released on Tuesday evening. Amidst the already tussle over seat sharing within the NDA, BJP has released the first list of 71 candidates. But the most discussed in this list are the four seats of Patna, where the party has made unexpected changes and canceled the tickets of many veterans.
The biggest shock has come from Patna Sahib Assembly seat, where the party has canceled the ticket of seven-time MLA and current Assembly Speaker Nandkishore Yadav. In his place, the party has made Ratnesh Kushwaha its candidate. This decision is being seen as a sign of “generation shift” within the BJP.
Patna Sahib: BJP’s stance towards ‘change from the elderly’
Nand Kishore Yadav has been among those leaders of BJP who strengthened the party from organization to government. But this time the party has decided to give him rest. Sources say that this change has been made as part of the strategy to promote new social equation and youth leadership on Patna Sahib seat. According to party sources, the name of Ratnesh Kushwaha has been decided with the consent of both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and State President Samrat Chaudhary. Ratnesh Kushwaha can play an important role socially in strengthening the Kushwaha and OBC vote bank.
Political battle decided in Danapur, Ritlal Yadav vs Ramkripal Yadav
On Danapur seat, BJP has fielded its veteran Ramkripal Yadav against the sitting MLA. This is the same seat where Ritlal Yadav’s hold was once considered unbeatable. But Ramkripal Yadav has been working continuously in this area since 2014 and now he is the center of hope for BJP. According to political experts, this seat will be involved in the most high-voltage contest this time. On one side, Ritlal was close to Lalu Yadav and on the other, Lalu’s former associate Ramkripal Yadav, which means the contest will be interesting. Let us tell you that Asha Devi had contested the 2020 elections from here on BJP ticket.
Vikram: Big reward for Siddharth Saurav
BJP has played a big bet on Vikram seat. While the party had given ticket to Atul Kumar in 2020, this time it has given ticket directly to Siddharth Saurav, who left Congress and joined BJP a day earlier. Siddharth is currently the sitting MLA from this seat and has a strong support base in his area. According to BJP sources, this decision has been taken as part of the policy of bringing forward young and energetic faces. The party wants to connect the middle class and urban voters of Bihar with new faces.
Potter: Sanjay Gupta in place of Arun Kumar Sinha
Arun Kumar Sinha, a long-time MLA from Kumhrar seat, had distanced himself from active politics this time. After his withdrawal, the party has given ticket to Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay Gupta has been associated with the organization and has a strong hold in the business class of Patna. However, from the point of view of local equations, this seat is not considered easy for the party. It will be a challenge for Sanjay Gupta to transfer the traditional vote bank of Arun Sinha.
Nitin Naveen and Sanjeev Chaurasia again in the field
On the remaining two seats of Patna, Bankipur and Digha, the party has retained faith in the sitting MLAs Nitin Naveen and Sanjeev Chaurasia. Nitin is counted among the influential faces of the Naveen cabinet and his performance was found satisfactory by the party leadership. According to BJP sources, the reshuffle is based on “youth and caste balance”. The party wants to contest the 2025 elections with ‘clean face and fighting candidates’.