Patna, Bihar: Just one day after announcing a landmark seat-sharing formula, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has entered the crucial phase of ground-level negotiations, with the two major partners, Janata Dal (United) and the BJP, thrashing out the final list of constituencies.
On Monday, top leaders from both the JD(U) and the BJP sat across the table to iron out the finer points of the alliance, specifically focusing on which seats the parties will swap between themselves or give up entirely to ensure their smaller allies are satisfied.
The meeting saw key figures like JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh and state minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary alongside the BJP’s Bihar in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, and Vinod Tawde, underlining the urgency to finalise candidate names before the nomination window closes.
The New Seat-Sharing Blueprint
The announced formula for the 243-member Bihar Assembly elections marks a significant shift, placing the BJP and JD(U) on equal footing for the first time in an Assembly poll:
- BJP & JD(U): 101 seats each (Down from 110 and 115 respectively in 2020, to make room for allies).
- Lok Janashakti Party (Ram Vilas) (Chirag Paswan): 29 seats.
- Rashtriya Lok Morcha (Upendra Kushwaha): 6 seats.
- Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) (Jitan Ram Manjhi): 6 seats.
Sources indicate that this Monday’s huddle focused on the 14 seats the JD(U) and BJP had to “sacrifice” collectively to accommodate the allies—particularly the LJP(RV), which secured the biggest bump with 29 seats, and the RLM and HAM, who received six each. The parties are also looking at swapping certain constituencies based on local caste and political dynamics, a tactic they successfully employed during the recent Lok Sabha polls.
The Manjhi Murmur: ‘Undervalued’
While the NDA leadership presents a united front, not all allies are entirely pleased. Union Minister and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has expressed clear dissatisfaction with his party’s share.
Manjhi is reportedly feeling “undervalued” after being allotted only six seats—the same number as the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, a party without representation in the outgoing Assembly. HAM, in contrast, has sitting MLAs. The former CM, while stopping short of a full-blown revolt, warned the NDA of the “adverse effects” of this “raw deal” on Sunday.
However, senior BJP leader and Bihar minister Nitin Nabin quickly moved to downplay the internal tensions. “There is no bitterness anywhere. All is well,” Nabin stated, adding that the focus is now squarely on finalising candidate lists for an early filing of nomination papers. Nabin himself is preparing for his fifth consecutive bid to retain the Bankipur assembly seat in Patna.
As the political drama unfolds, both the BJP and JD(U) are accelerating their processes: the BJP is awaiting final clearance from its central leadership in Delhi, while the JD(U) list is expected shortly after approval from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The clock is ticking, with the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase set for October 17. Bihar heads to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with results scheduled for announcement on November 14.