The Bihar National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalized its seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming elections, bringing an end to extensive negotiations. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) have reportedly agreed to the demands of their smaller coalition partners, including Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP-RV) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). This resolution ensures a united front as voting dates approach on November 6 and 11.
Sources indicate that Chirag Paswan’s LJP-RV has been allocated 26 seats. While the party had initially sought 35 seats, citing their significant impact in the 2020 polls where they contested 135 seats and affected the JDU’s performance, they have now accepted the 26-seat offer. This figure represents a notable adjustment from their initial demands.
Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, which reportedly requested 15 seats, is expected to contest on eight seats, one more than in the previous election. Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Janata Party (RLJP) is also likely to secure a significant share, with reports suggesting they will contest seven seats. With these allocations, the NDA has finalized seats for 41 constituencies, leaving 202 seats for the BJP and JDU to contest from the total of 243 seats in the Bihar assembly. Both major allies are expected to field candidates in approximately 100-101 seats each.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders are converging in Delhi to finalize strategies and prepare for the formal announcement of the alliance. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister has emphasized that the focus of the upcoming NDA meeting is on forming a strong government committed to good governance and steering clear of corrupt practices.
The upcoming electoral battle in Bihar will be a contest between the NDA, led by the BJP and JDU, and the INDIA bloc, spearheaded by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The INDIA bloc comprises the Congress, CPI-ML, CPI, CPM, and Mukesh Sahani’s VIP. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj has also declared its intention to contest all 243 seats. Vote counting is scheduled for November 14.