Rumours of Kanhaiya Kumar contesting Bihar assembly election has finally settled down as left parties announced their candidates ahead of the polls.
According to the seat-sharing formula of the Grand Alliance, the RJD will contest 144 seats followed by the Congress which would fight 70 seats, CPI(ML) -19, CPI - six and the CPI(M) - four.
While, the CPI and the CPI(M) announced the names of their candidates on Sunday, CPI(ML) declared the list today.
The CPI(ML) (Liberation), considered a major force among the left parties in Bihar, on Monday announced the names of candidates for 19 seats which it will be contesting as a constituent of the RJD-led Grand Alliance in the state Assembly polls.
Releasing the list of candidates, CPI(ML) (Liberation) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that the party has given tickets to youths and those who fight for farmers, labourers, education and employment.
Three sitting legislators of the party - Mahboob Alam, Satyadeo Ram and Sudama Prasad - will seek re-election from Balrampur, Darauli (SC) and Tarari seats respectively.
The party also nominated Sandeep Saurav, former general secretary of the party's student wing All India Students Association (AISA) for Paliganj constituency, Bhattacharya said.
Saurav is also an ex-general secretary of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union.
Another prominent new face is, Shashi Yadav, state secretary of the party's womens wing, All India Progressive Womens Association (AIPWA), who will contest Digha constituency.
Bhattacharya said that Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha national vice-president and former MLA Arun Singh will contest Karakat constituency.
Voting for 243 Assembly constituencies in the state will be held in three phases - October 28 (71 seats), November 3 (94 seats) and November 7 (78 seats). The counting of votes will take place on November 10.
(With inputs from PTI)
