Senior JD(U) leader and Bihar MLC Sanjay Gandhi (also known as Sanjay Kumar Singh) told reporters that the party is preparing to field candidates in 60 constituencies, especially in the Purvanchal region where Kurmi and Kushwaha voters are numerous.
The party plans to hold a workers’ meeting in Varanasi on October 25, where top Bihar leaders such as national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Uttar Pradesh in‑charge Shrawan Kumar, Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary are expected to attend.
JD(U) spokesperson in Uttar Pradesh Kunwar Ajay Singh said the party is scouting potential alliance partners for the upcoming election but has not finalized any coalition arrangement, noting that the decision will ultimately rest with the NDA’s senior leadership.
The move reflects JD(U)’s strategy to capitalize on the popularity of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a Kurmi, and the current Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, a Kushwaha, by targeting OBC communities that form a sizable vote bank in the border districts.
In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, JD(U) contested 26 seats, failed to win any, and secured only about 0.11% of the total vote share, underscoring the significance of the party’s renewed focus on the state.
Party officials emphasized that while the exact seat allocation will be decided through coalition negotiations, JD(U) intends to contest only those constituencies that are geographically close to Bihar and where OBC voters can be mobilised.