The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has confirmed its seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming assembly elections, where Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will each contest 101 seats. The remaining 41 seats are allocated to smaller allied parties.
This pivotal agreement marks the first significant change in the seat distribution, reflecting the BJP’s increasing influence in the state. It stands out as the first time since 2005, under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, where the JD(U) will not have a greater number of contesting seats compared to the BJP.
According to the arrangement, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, will contest 29 constituencies. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), under Jitan Ram Manjhi, will compete for six seats, along with the Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Upendra Kushwaha, which has also secured six seats.
BJP’s Bihar poll in-charge, Dharmendra Pradhan, reported that all parties involved achieved a consensus “in a cordial manner.” Pradhan expressed confidence, stating, “Bihar is ready for another NDA government.” Similar sentiments came from Paswan, Kushwaha, and JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, all of whom labelled the negotiations as “amicable and unanimous.”
Despite initial discontent, Jitan Ram Manjhi ultimately accepted the arrangement, expressing satisfaction with the allocation. He remarked, “I will stay with Prime Minister Narendra Modi till my last breath,” demonstrating loyalty to the NDA coalition.
In the previous assembly elections of 2020, the JD(U) contested 115 seats, while BJP fielded candidates in 110 and HAM contested seven. The JD(U) had a tough outcome with only 43 seats won compared to the BJP’s 74. This election result briefly strained alliances, leading to Nitish Kumar’s resignation from the NDA.
The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections are set to take place in two phases this year, on November 6 and 11, with the counting scheduled for November 14. Political analysts suggest this seat-sharing arrangement might give the NDA a significant edge in the elections, given the historical context and party dynamics.
