JDU releases names of its 16 candidates for Lok Sabha polls, Lalan Singh to contest from Munger

Patna (Bihar) [India], March 24 (ANI): Janata Dal-United (JDU) on Sunday released the names of its 16 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh from Munger and Lovely Anand from Sheohar.
Lovely Anand, wife of gangster turned politician Anand Mohan, who had quit the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), joined the Janata Dal (United) earlier this week.
As per the list released by the party, Sunil Kumar will fight from Balmiki Nagar, Devesh Chandra Thakur from Sitamarhi, Ramprit Mandal from Jhanjharpur, Dileshwar Kamait from Supaul, Mujahid Alam from Kishanganj, Dulalchandra Goswami from Katihar, Santosh Kumar from Purnea, Dinesh Chandra Yadav from Madhepura, and Alok Kumar Suman from Gopalganj.
Vijaylaxmi Devi has been fielded from Siwan, Ajay Kumar Mandal from Bhagalpur, Giridhari Yadav from Banka, Kaushalendra Kumar from Nalanda and Chandeshwar Prasad from Jehanabad, the list added.
Earlier, JDU MLA Rupauli Bima Bharti resigned from the party's primary membership on Saturday. Following her resignation, she joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and expressed her readiness to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Purnia if her new party permits.
"People of Purnia are ready to vote for us. I will contest Lok Sabha polls from Purnia if my party asks me to," the former Bihar Minister said.
Adding to the political dynamics, sources say that former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughters, Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti, are likely to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Rohini Acharya is expected to contest from Saran, while Misa Bharti may run from the Pataliputra constituency.
Bihar is set to witness a seven-phase poll for its 40 Lok Sabha seats. The first phase will see voting on four seats, followed by five seats each from Phase 2 to Phase 5. The last two phases, 6 and 7, will have elections on eight seats each.
In another strategic move, Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav, a former five-time MP from Bihar and husband of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan, merged his party into the Congress. Known for his influence in the Seemanchal area of Bihar, this merger could impact the political landscape.
Reflecting on the previous Lok Sabha elections, the NDA, comprising BJP, JD(U), and LJP, dominated the 2019 elections by winning 39 out of 40 seats. In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD, INC, and RLSP, managed to secure only one seat. The BJP won 17 seats with a vote share of 24.1%, JD(U) won 16 seats with a vote share of 22.3%, and LJP won 6 seats with a vote share of 8%. The INC could only secure one seat with a vote share of 7.9%.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged victorious with 22 seats, followed by LJP with 6 seats, RJD with 4 seats, and INC with only 2 seats. These shifts and changes indicate the dynamic and evolving political scenario in Bihar. (ANI)