(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) As the nomination process kicks off for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, BSP Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Gautam on Friday reaffirmed his party's independent stance and announced that the first batch of candidates will be released imminently.

“The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has earlier stated that it will contest all seats across the state with full strength, and its preparations are complete,” Gautam told IANS, adding,“The party's first list of candidates is expected to be released today, which will include around 100 seats.”

His remarks come on a day when candidates are filing papers for 121 Assembly constituencies across 18 districts, as political activity intensifies across Bihar in the lead‐up to voting on November 6.

When pressed about the possibility of an alliance with the NDA, Gautam was categorical:“We have no alliance with anyone. The Bahujan Samaj Party is an independent party with its own ideology, which does not align with any other party's beliefs. Therefore, we are not forming any alliance or partnership with anyone.”

The first phase of the Bihar elections has officially entered the nomination stage. Candidates across key districts such as Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, and others are submitting their papers. The Election Commission of India has issued notifications for 121 seats in Phase I. Political parties across the spectrum are rapidly finalising their ticket allocations and strategies.

Recent reports have confirmed that the NDA alliance is expected to conclude its seat-sharing arrangement within a day or two, with BJP's state president Dilip Jaiswal affirming the same. Meanwhile, allies such as JD(U) have echoed unity and the finalisation of internal talks.

In a separate and slightly surprising comment, Gautam addressed the attempted shoe‐throwing incident targeting Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai:“The shoe was not actually thrown; he just picked it up with the intention of throwing it. But such actions are highly condemnable. When it comes to the highest constitutional authority after the President, the Chief Justice of India, such behaviour by a mentally disturbed person cannot be tolerated or forgiven. This act must be strongly condemned, and I firmly believe that there should be a CBI investigation into the matter to uncover who was behind it.”

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