The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has confirmed its seat-sharing plan for the upcoming elections to the 243-member assembly. On Sunday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that both the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 101 seats each, while the remaining 41 seats have been allocated to smaller allied parties.
In this division, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, has secured 29 constituencies. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) of Jitan Ram Manjhi will contest six seats, as will the Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Upendra Kushwaha. This strategic arrangement marks a notable shift within the NDA.
This year’s arrangement is significant as it is the first time since 2005, when Kumar first took the reins of the NDA government, that JD(U) will contest an equal number of seats as BJP. This change highlights the BJP’s growing dominance in Bihar politics and the JD(U)’s relative decline.
Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP’s Bihar poll in-charge, stated that all partners reached the decision “in a cordial manner,” emphasizing, “Bihar is ready for another NDA government.” Similar sentiments were voiced by Paswan, Kushwaha, and JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, who described the talks as “amicable and unanimous.”
Even amid earlier reports of dissatisfaction among allies, Jitan Ram Manjhi accepted the allocated seats, affirming, “We are satisfied with what we have received… I will stay with Prime Minister Narendra Modi till my last breath.” This statement underscores the commitment of smaller parties to the NDA coalition.
In the previous assembly elections of 2020, JD(U) contested 115 seats while the BJP fielded candidates in 110 seats. The hampered alliance then resulted in JD(U) winning only 43 seats, compared to BJP’s 74. This outcome strained the partnership and briefly led to Nitish Kumar’s departure from NDA.
The scheduled dates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections are set for November 6 and 11, with the counting of votes taking place on November 14. The approaching elections are closely watched as they will directly impact the political landscape in Bihar.
