Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Debutants, veterans among women candidates in second phase

Here’s a look at the most prominent women candidates in the second phase of Bihar assembly elections.

The second phase of polling on Tuesday in the Bihar assembly elections will see 146 women candidates, out of 1,464, from various political parties trying their luck. Among these 146 women candidates, only 27 have been fielded by leading political parties with eight women from the Grand Alliance, 13 from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and six from the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Rest of them are fighting the Bihar Assembly Election 2020 as Independent candidates or on the tickets of smaller political parties.

Plurals Party President Pushpam Priya Choudhary files her nomination from the Bankipur constituency which goes to polls on November 3 in the second phase of Bihar Assembly Election 2020. (PTI)

Polling on Tuesday will be held in 94 assembly constituencies in 17 districts. The third and final phase of polling will be held on November 7. Results will be announced on November 10.

Here’s a look at the most prominent women candidates in the second phase of Bihar assembly elections:

1.Manju Verma

Manju Verma has been an MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency, which falls under Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency, in 2010 and in 2015. Her father-in-law and her husband also represented the seat earlier. In 2015, she was the only woman member of Nitish Kumar’s cabinet where she was given the portfolio of social justice ministry. But she was expelled from the Janata Dal(United) after her alleged involvement in the notorious Muzaffarpur shelter case but the JD(U) has fielded her again from the seat.

2. Pushpam Priya Chaudhary

Pushpam Priya Chaudhary, who has a masters’ degree in development studies from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and a masters’ in public administration and political science from the London School of Economics, launched her own Plurals Party and is contesting from Bankipur in Patna against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Nitin Nabin and Congress’ Luv Sinha. She is the daughter of former JD(U) MLC Vinod Chaudhary.

3. Mangita Devi

The Runni Saidpur constituency in Sitamarhi district is currently held by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mangita Devi, who defeated Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) candidate Pankaj Kumar Mishra by a margin of 14,110 votes in the 2015 assembly elections. She comes from the Yadav clan and her father-in-law Bhola Rai has represented the seat in the past. She is fighting against Guddi Devi from the Runni Saidpur seat.

4. Guddi Devi

Guddi Devi is the major challenger against Mangita Devi from the Runni Saidpur constituency. The former MLA was a member of the JD(U) but did not get the seat from the party and therefore decided to contest from the LJP. Her husband Rajesh Chaudhary is also contesting in the election as an Independent candidate.

Click here for the complete coverage of Bihar Assembly elections 2020

5. Punam Devi Yadav

Punam Devi Yadav is the JD(U) candidate from Khagaria. She was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Khagaria in the 2005 Bihar Legislative Assembly. Her husband Ranveer Yadav was also elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Khagaria in 1990-1995. She is fighting against Renu Kumari from the Khagaria seat.

6. Renu Kumari

Renu Kumari was Bihar’s industry and disaster management minister in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet but she resigned from the post and the party in 2014 and joined the LJP. She is now facing Punam Devi on the Khagaria seat.