New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) With the Bihar Assembly elections inching closer, the nomination process for the first phase is set to begin on Friday, marking a significant step in the high-stakes electoral battle in the state.

Candidates will begin filing their nomination papers for 121 assembly constituencies spread across 18 districts, as election fervor intensifies across Bihar.

The Election Commission of India will issue the official notification for the first phase on Friday, formally kicking off the nomination process. Voting for this phase will be held on November 6.

The 18 districts going to polls in the first phase include Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Munger, Khagaria, Saharsa, and Madhepura.

As the nomination window opens, political activity has gained momentum across the state. Rallies, strategy meetings, and candidate selection discussions are in full swing, especially among the key alliances gearing up for a fiercely contested election.

Amid the build-up, Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal on Thursday said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will announce its seat-sharing formula and list of candidates within the next two to three days.

Jaiswal confirmed that discussions with NDA allies are progressing smoothly. “We discussed the names of candidates for both the sitting BJP seats and those we lost in the last election. The names have been finalized, and the list will soon be released by the party’s parliamentary committee,” he said.

Jaiswal added that senior BJP leaders had conducted a detailed review to finalize candidates and that the alliance had already completed most of the groundwork in preparation for the upcoming polls.

With the nomination process kicking off and alliances gearing up to declare their candidates, Bihar’s political landscape is set for an intense election season.

–IANS

rs/