As Bihar gears up for the Assembly elections on November 6 and 11, an interesting trend is emerging: a battle for poll tickets between husbands and wives. So far, men have taken the lead in securing nominations, with a score of 2-0 in this unusual competition.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 71 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections. The announcement follows the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)'s seat-sharing arrangement declared earlier. As per the agreement, both the BJP and Janata Dal (United) will contest 101 seats each in the 243-member Assembly. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allotted 29 seats, while the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) will contest six seats each.

Prominent names in the BJP's initial list include Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha from Lakhisarai, and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary from Tarapur, Mangal Pandey from Siwan, Tarkishore Prasad from Katihar, Ramkripal Yadav from Danapur, Nitin Nabin from Bankipur, Renu Devi from Bettiah, Prem Kumar from Gaya Town and Shreyasi Singh from Jamui.

However, the most talked-about contest involves Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Pawan Singh and his estranged wife, Jyoti Singh. Jyoti Singh has declared her intention to contest the election from Karakat. This comes after Pawan Singh, who was expected to contest from the same seat, opted out amidst controversy surrounding their marital dispute. Jyoti has accused Pawan of neglecting the Karakat constituency since his defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She stated she would reconsider her decision only if Pawan publicly acknowledged her as his wife. Her father, Rambabu Singh, has also confirmed her intention to contest, though the party affiliation and constituency remain undecided. This high-profile marital dispute has attracted significant attention in Bihar's political circles.

Another instance involves a husband securing a ticket while his wife seemingly remains out of the fray, at least for now. While specific details are still emerging, the trend highlights the complexities and, at times, the intertwined nature of personal relationships and political ambitions within Bihar's political landscape.

The NDA faces a challenge from the opposition INDIA bloc, led by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. The alliance includes the Congress, CPI (ML), CPI, CPM, and the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahani. The Bihar Assembly elections will also see the political debut of Prashant Kishor's party, Jan Suraaj. Jan Suraaj has announced its first list of 51 candidates.

With the election dates drawing closer, political parties are in full swing, announcing candidates and solidifying alliances. The NDA's seat-sharing arrangement sees the BJP and JD(U) contesting 101 seats each, leaving the remaining for allies. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc is still finalizing its seat-sharing formula. The results of the election will be declared on November 14.