New Delhi/Patna: The Congress on Wednesday released in New Delhi its full list of 41 candidates fielded by the party for the 2015 Bihar assembly elections, which has 10 Muslims including Aquil Haider, Dr Jawaid and Shakeel Ahmed Khan.
While Aquil Haider and Dr Mohammad Jawaid have been fielded by the Congress from Kumhrar and Kishanganj assembly seats, Shakeel Ahmed Khan will contest from the Kadwa assembly constituency.
Others named in the Congress's list are: Mohammad Irshad Hussain from Valmiki Nagar, Mohammad Shabbir from Hakrlakhi, Obaidur Rehman from Araria, Mohammad Tausif Aalm from Bahadurganj, Abdul Jalil Mastan from Amour, Mohammad Afaque Aalam from Kasba and Mohammad Tauqir Aalm from Pranpur.
The Congress released its list of 41 candidates in New Delhi. Simultaneously, other constituents of the 'Grand Alliance' declared the names of the JD (U) and RJD candidates in Patna. The list included the names of 242 candidates - one short of the total seats the alliance will contest in the crucial assembly polls.
According to a press release issued by the Nitish Kumar led 'Grand Alliance', 55 percent of the 242 candidates belong to Other Backward Classes and Economically Backward Classes, 16 percent belong to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, 14 percent are Muslim, and the rest are from general or upper castes. About 10 percent of the candidates are women.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with RJD state president Ram Chandra Purve and state Congress president Ashok Choudhary announced the list at a joint press conference here. The JD-U and RJD are contesting 101 seats each while the Congress will be in the fray for the remaining 41 seats.
Nitish Kumar said the name of remaining one candidate would be announced soon.
"We have tried to ensure representation to all sections of society. There are no complaints within the grand alliance over the names of candidates and seat adjustments," he said.
Nitish Kumar has made it clear that development was the main agenda for the polls while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was only interested in creating divisions on the basis of religion and caste.
Polling will be held in Bihar between October 12 and November 5. Counting of votes will be taken up on November 8.