PATNA: Bihar’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Grand Alliance (GA) are striving hard to finalise the seat-sharing arrangements for the Lok Sabha elections. Chief minister Nitish Kumar held discussions with former JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha on Sunday to finalise the party’s seat-sharing formula and discuss about candidates.
“Which party will contest how many seats and also on which seats would be made public soon,” Jha said. NDA in Bihar comprises BJP, JD (U), Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas), union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and former union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
Sources claimed that BJP would contest on 17 seats, JD (U) on 16 seats, LJP (Ram Vilas) on five and HAM and RLM on one each. RLJP has been offered a Rajya Sabha seat and a cabinet berth in Nitish government.
In 2019, NDA won 39 out of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats. While BJP had won 17 seats, JD(U) 16 and united LJP six. This time NDA is facing a standoff between Paras and his nephew Chirag over Hajipur seat. Paras has expressed his displeasure over Chirag being given preference in the NDA, saying his party’s options were open if not given due respect in seat-sharing. The RJD and Congress, two major constituents of GA, will hold a meeting in Delhi on Monday to finalise a seat-sharing deal. GA comprises RJD, Congress, CPI-ML, CPI, and CPM .
Sources claimed RJD would contest on 28 seats, Congress on nine, CPI-ML on two and CPI on one. In 2029, only Congress had won Kishanganj seat. Meanwhile, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said Bihar would spring a surprise in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “There is an undercurrent in favour of Grand Alliance in Bihar,” he said.
NDA faces standoff between Paras and Chirag
NDA is facing a standoff between Paras and his nephew Chirag over Hajipur seat. Paras has expressed his displeasure over Chirag being given preference in the NDA, saying his party’s options were open if not given due respect in seat-sharing.