BJP to Skip ‘Gujarat Model’ in Bihar Polls; Candidate List Based on Three-Point Formula
After finalizing seat-sharing within the NDA alliance for the Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP has now reportedly decided on all 101 candidates from its quota, with an official announcement expected soon. Sources told ET that the party will not implement the “Gujarat Model” this time meaning around 30 percent of sitting MLAs will not be replaced. Normally, in several state elections, BJP follows this model to bring in fresh faces by cutting tickets of around one-third of its incumbent legislators, but this strategy won’t be applied in Bihar.
Why BJP is Avoiding the Gujarat Model
According to ET sources, the BJP leadership believes that most of its legislators, first elected in 2020, have performed well and don’t face anti-incumbency. Hence, the party plans to retain the majority of its sitting MLAs. The leadership also plans to field more women candidates and may even nominate a few central leaders for the assembly polls a move similar to its approach in Madhya Pradesh.
Candidate Announcement Timeline
The central election committee of the BJP met in New Delhi on Sunday evening to finalize the first list of candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda, party general secretary (organization) BL Santosh, senior Bihar BJP leaders, and other committee members were present. State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal confirmed that the announcement of candidates will begin Monday evening.
Nomination Process for Second Phase
Meanwhile, the nomination process for the second phase of Bihar elections began on Monday for 122 assembly seats, where voting will be held on November 11. Candidates can file nominations until October 20, and the withdrawal deadline is October 23. For the first phase, nominations for 121 seats started on Friday, with polling scheduled for November 6. The counting of votes for all 243 constituencies will take place on November 14.
