What does a real estate baron, a filmmaker, regional and Bollywood movie stars, doctors, former bureaucrats, and activists have in common? They are all candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar.
They have been fielded by all political parties.
R.K. Singh, an ex=Indian Administrative Service officer and a former union home secretary, is contesting for the Ara seat as a BJP candidate. Experts say the party hopes the Rajput dominated constituency will vote for him.
Real estate baron Anil Kumar Sharma, chairman and managing director of the Amrapali Group of Companies, is contesting from the Jehanabad constituency as a JD-U nominee.
His assets worth a whopping Rs.850 crore make him Bihar's richest candidate.
Filmmaker Prakash Jha is contesting from West Champaran as a Janata Dal-United nominee. He well known for taking up social issue in his films.
The Congress has fielded Bhojpuri superstar Kunal Singh from Patna Sahib against Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate and sitting MP Shatrughan Sinha, actor-turned-politician.
The JD-U has fielded a leading physician of Patna, Gopal Prasad Sinha, from Patna Sahib.
Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag Paswan, an actor-turned politician, is contesting from Jamui. He might attract the young voters but has a tough political battle ahead.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Prabhat Ranjan Das, an NRI doctor, from the Darbhanga constituency. He is contesting against BJP candidate and sitting MP Kirti Azad, a cricketer turned politician.
Das, a medical professional has lived in the US for nearly two decades.
He returned to Darbhanga two years back and has been offering free healthcare services to the poor since then.
The AAP has fielded Titilya Devi from Jhanjharpur. She has been working for women rights and was one of the 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Rina Rani, a TV actress, is AAP's candidate from Maharajganj. She is fighting against RJD's candidate and sitting MP Prabhunath Singh, a known bahubali.
Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal has fielded a journalist of Hindi daily Pragati Mehta from Munger.
The JD-U has fielded IAS officer K.P. Ramiah from Sasaram. Ramiah, a Dalit, is a native of Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, who took voluntary retirement last month. He joined the JD-U last week and is eyeing the strong presence of Mahadalits, the poorest among Dalits, to decide his fate.
Another retired IAS officer Pancham Lal is not as lucky as Ramiah. A native of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, he tried for a ticket from national as well as regional parties, but is now contesting from Patliputra as a Forward Bloc candidate.
Former Bihar police chief and RJD leader Ashish Ranjan Sinha joined the Congress early this week to contest the Lok Sabha poll from the Nalanda constituency, the home turf of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
