Many incumbent MLAs often fail to secure a second term during elections. Parties too, are sometimes wary to hand tickets to sitting MLAs fearing anti-incumbency, unless they are heavyweights that are respected by the public, or have managed to become a darling of the public with their immaculate performance in five years.
Yet, the third biggest constituent of Bihar’s Opposition Mahagatbandhan alliance has decided to field all their incumbent MLAs. The CPI(ML) Liberation has asked all 12 winners from the 2020 assembly election to retain their respective seats once again while a few fresh faces have been chosen for other 20 seats they are contesting. While the Left party had fought from 19 in 2020, they are fighting 20 this time.
Party MLAs, Diya Gautam, Anil Kumar, Phoolbabu Singh, Amarjeet Kushwaha, Satyadeo Ram, Gopal Ravi Das, Sandeep Saurav, Shiv Prakash Ranaj, Ajeet Kumar Singh, Birendra Prasad and Mahboob Alam have been re-nominated, general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya confirmed. CPI(ML) Liberation was the party with best strike rate when Bihar went to polling booths last time.
Among the notable fresh faces in the CPI(ML) Liberation candidate list is former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Dhananjay. The youngster is being fielded from Bhore constituency in Gopalganj district.
Dhananjay led the JNUSU as an All India Students’ Association (AISA) representative -- the student wing of the CPI (ML). A native of Gaya, the Dalit leader is currently a PhD student in theatre studies at JNU.
FULL LIST OF CPI (ML) LIBERATION CANDIDATES FIGHTING BIHAR ASSEMBLY POLLS 2025:
- Bhore – SC: Dhananjay
- Ziradei : Amarjeet Kushwaha
- Darauli – SC: Satyadeo Ram
- Daraunda: Amarnath Yadav
- Kalyanpur – SC: Ranjeet Kumar Ram
- Warisnagar: Phoolbabu Singh
- Rajgir – SC: Bishwanath Chaudhary
- Digha: Divya Gautam
- Phulwari – SC: Gopal Ravi Das
- Paliganj: Sandeep Saurav
- Arra: Quyamuddin Ansari
- Agiaon: Shiv Prakash Ranjan
- Tarari: Madan Singh
- Dumraon: Ajit Kumar Singh
- Sikta: Birendra Prasad Gupta
- Pipra Supaul: Anil Kumar
- Balrampur: Mahboob Alam
- Karakat: Arun Singh
- Arwal: Mahanand Singh
- Ghosi: Ram Bali Singh Yadav
Sikta, Pipra, Supaul, Balrampur, Karakat Arwal and Ghosi seats will go to polls in the second phase while the rest of the constituencies are part of the first phase of elections. All candidates who will face the mandate on November 6, have already filed their nomination papers, Dipankar Bhattacharya said.