The NDA in Bihar, comprising the BJP, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, on Saturday announced candidates for 39 of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will be contesting from the Patna Sahib seat, BJP national general secretary and party in-charge for the state Bhupendra Yadav told a press meet. Prasad's candidature could pit him against Shatrughan Sinha, who had won the seat for the BJP in the outgoing Lok Sabha. There is speculation that Sinha is likely to join the Congress. He has said he wants to seek re-election from the same seat.
Union minister Giriraj Singh, whose Nawada seat has gone to the LJP, will contest from Begusarai. His colleagues in the council of ministers Radha Mohan Singh, R.K. Singh, Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Ram Kripal Yadav will be fielded from their current seats of Motihari, Ara, Buxar and Pataliputra.
LJP state president Pashupati Kumar Paras will be replacing his elder brother Ram Vilas Paswan in Hajipur. The Union minister is likely to get a Rajya Sabha ticket. Chirag Paswan will seek re-election from Jamui.
Bhupendra Yadav also said the candidate for the Khagaria Lok Sabha seat, which would be contested by the LJP, would be announced shortly.