Tension gripped Bihar’s Begusarai district on Thursday after supporters of rival political parties clashed near the Teghra Subdivision Office during the nomination process for the upcoming Bihar elections 2025, the IANS reported.
The altercation erupted when Congress Youth State President Garibdas and Bihar Sports Minister Surendra Mehta, also the NDA candidate, arrived with their respective supporters to file nominations for the Bachhwara Assembly constituency.
What began as heated sloganeering soon turned into a violent scuffle, with both groups engaging in pushing, punching, and kicking. To disperse the crowd and regain control, police resorted to a lathi charge. Several individuals sustained minor injuries in the brief but intense confrontation. Order was eventually restored, and the nomination process continued peacefully under tight security, according to the IANS.
In a separate incident the previous evening, two rival factions of the Congress clashed at Patna airport, adding to the rising political tensions.
Further unrest broke out in Patna during a press conference held by the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), led by Mukesh Sahani. Disagreements over ticket distribution turned violent, with party workers from opposing factions exchanging blows and shouting slogans. The press conference at Hotel Maurya had to be cancelled.
The unrest is believed to have stemmed from dissatisfaction among VIP members after Sahani reportedly accepted just 18 seats from the RJD, down from an initial demand of 60. Tensions escalated further when the Congress fielded candidates in constituencies Sahani had shown interest in.
Mukesh Sahani is now expected to address the media at 4 pm, where a significant political announcement is anticipated.
The twin incidents, in Begusarai and Patna, have raised concerns about law and order during the crucial nomination phase. Authorities have stepped up security around nomination centres across the state to prevent further disruptions, the news agency reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, ahead of the polls, the Janata Dal (United) on Thursday released its second list of 44 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections 2025.
With the announcement, the party has finalised its candidates for all 101 seats allotted to it under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing arrangement.
Some of the notable candidates in the second list include Dharendra Pratap Singh (also known as Rinku Singh) from Valmikinagar, Sammridh Verma from Sikta Vishal Shah from Narkatiya, Shalini Mishra from Kesariya, Shweta Gupta from Shivhar, Nagendra Raut from Sursand, reported the ANI.
This comes a day after the JD(U) released its first list of 57 candidates. That list featured party state president Umesh Kushwaha, who will contest from Mahanar, along with Bihar’s Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar from Nalanda, and Sunil Kumar from Bhore (SC) constituency.
With the declaration of both lists, the JD(U) is now election-ready across all its allocated constituencies in Bihar, as the state heads towards high-stakes assembly polls.
(with IANS and ANI inputs)