Taking a lead in announcing candidates for Bihar Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday night came out with its first list of nominees for 80 of the 105 seats it will contest in the four-phased polls beginning on October 18.
The party, which has a pre-poll alliance with Janata Dal (United), will finalise the names for rest of the constituencies within a week after talks with its partner, BJP Vice President and state unit chief Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters after the marathon meeting of party's election committee in New Delhi.
Congress will contest 113 seats in Bihar polls
At least 37 of the candidates finalised are those who won the last Assembly elections earlier this year, he said after the meeting attended by BJP President L K Advani, senior party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other leaders.
Two Lok Janshakti Party leaders, who were victorious in the last polls and have since joined BJP, have also been allotted tickets at their seats -- Bikram and Taraiyan, Modi said.
The list released does not cover all the seats the party will contest in the first and second phase.
Bihar poll notification on Friday
At least 61 seats will go to polls in the first phase while balloting will take place at 69 constituencies in the second phase on October 26.
