Patna: Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday released the list of all its 115 candidates sans former DGP Gupteswar Pandey for the Bihar assembly polls to be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7. RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s ‘samdhi’ Chandrika Rai, who recently joined JD(U), got the ticket for his traditional Parsa seat in Saran district.

Gupteshwar Pandey had recently quit the post of DGP and joined the governing JD(U) in the hope of getting a party ticket from Buxar. The ex-DGP’s dream of contesting the assembly polls from his home district was shattered after BJP on Wednesday announced the name of Parashuram Chaturvedi for the Buxar seat. However, in a Facebook post late on Wednesday night, Pandey announced that he would not contest the Bihar assembly polls. He sought blessings from the people of Buxar and asked his followers to remain calm.

JD(U)’s list of candidates was released at a party event addressed by its state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh, party leader in Rajya Sabha RCP Singh and its state working president and minister Ashok Choudhary. JD(U) got a total of 122 seats as part of its seat-sharing deal with BJP. Of the 122, it allotted seven to former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha. JD(U) has also fielded 22 women candidates.