Patna: Seventy candidates have withdrawn their nominations for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly Election 2025, according to figures released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday.
The withdrawal deadline closed at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Nominations were filed for 122 Assembly constituencies across 18 districts, with 1,761 candidates initially submitting papers. Following scrutiny, 389 nominations were rejected, leaving 1,372 valid entries. After withdrawals, 1,302 candidates remain in the fray.
Kishanganj recorded the highest number of withdrawals at 10, followed by Araria with seven. West Champaran, East Champaran, Madhubani, Katihar, and Rohtas each saw five candidates pull out. Gaya and Nawada reported four withdrawals apiece, while Sitamarhi, Bhagalpur, Banka, Jehanabad, and Aurangabad each had three. Sheohar, Supaul, Purnea, Arwal, and Jamui registered one withdrawal each. No withdrawals were reported from Kaimur.
The nomination window for phase two ran from 13 to 20 October, with polling scheduled for 11 November.
The election is shaping up as a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan). The NDA has launched its campaign under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while the Grand Alliance has resolved internal disputes over seat-sharing and leadership.
Following mediation by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, the alliance named Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate and Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) as a prospective Deputy Chief Minister.
With both camps finalising their strategies, Bihar is poised for a high-stakes electoral showdown in the weeks ahead.
(Inputs from IANS)