Facing a tough fight, BJP likely to drop several Bihar MLAs

The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to contest around 105 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, with significant churn expected in its candidate list.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Of the total 243 Assembly seats in the state, the BJP had contested on 110 seats in the 2020 elections, with the remaining going to JDU (110), Viksasheel Insaan Party (11) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) (7).

Party leaders told The Sunday Guardian that at least 20 sitting MLAs are under active consideration for changes, while in another ten, the BJP is unlikely to renominate those who lost in 2020.

Sitting MLAs who are over 70 years of age or whose victory margin was less than 3,000 votes are also under the scanner.

Anti-incumbency and caste arithmetic, always at the heart of Bihar's politics, are shaping much of the decision-making.