The ruling NDA on Sunday announced its seat share deal with BJP and JD(U) bagging 101 seats each, while union minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats in the elections to the 243-member Assembly. Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and former union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats each.
The deal follows extensive deliberations in Delhi and Patna involving senior NDA leaders, including BJP election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, Vinod Tawde, and Nityanand Rai, as well as interactions with LJP, RLM, and HAM leadership. LJP chief Chirag Paswan, who had initially demanded 40 seats, agreed to the reduced share of 29 seats
The announcement was made by Union Minister and BJP’s Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan on social media platform X.
It will be first time that BJP and JD(U) will contest equal number of seats since 2005. In the October-November 2005 Bihar Assembly polls, JD(U) contested 139 seats and BJP 102 seats. In the 2010 Assembly election, JD(U) contested 141, and BJP 102 seats.
In 2015, JD(U) contested Assembly polls with RJD and its allies. In the 2020 Assembly polls, JD(U) contested 115 seats, while BJP 110. With BJP and JD(U) agreeing to contest polls on equal numbers this time, both parties want to give a clear message to the electorate that there is no dispute in the alliance in Bihar. In the 2020 election, Chirag’s LJP (RV) contested independently.
In the present seat share deal, Chirag emerged as a “big gainer” as he finally got 29 seats even when BJP had initially offered him 26 seats. To satisfy Chirag’s demands, the BJP has even reportedly conceded its some sitting seats to him.
LJP (RV)’s strike rate was 100% in the last Lok Sabha election as it won all five seats it contested. On the other hand, HAM, which had contested seven seats in the last Assembly election, had to contend with six seats even when it was demanding 15 seats.
Manjhi asserted that his party had no objection to being allotted six seats. He said that the NDA high command took a decision in this regard. “In Parliament, we were given only one seat, were we upset? Similarly, if we got only six seats, it is the decision of the high command. We accept it…,” he remarked.
Before the announcement of the seat share deal, Manjhi said, “I am heading to Patna now… I’ve said before and I’m saying again today… I, Jitan Ram Manjhi, will stand with the Honorable PM Narendra Modi ji until my last breath.”
JD (U) national working president Sanjay Jha commented on ‘X’, “We NDA colleagues have completed the distribution of seats in a cordial atmosphere. JDU – 101, BJP – 101, LJP(R)- 29, RLM – 06, HAM – 06. Leaders and worker comrades of all NDA parties welcome this with joy and are resolved and united to make CM Nitish
Kumar the Chief Minister again with a massive majority. Bihar is ready, the NDA government again.” Chirag as well as RLM leader Kushwaha also declared the seat share deal on the social media, adding that the deal was struck in a cordial atmosphere.
AIMIM names 32 in first list, hints at third front
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has released its list of 32 candidates for the elections and hinted at formation of a third front. The party’s Bihar chief, Akhtarul Iman, said that the party would field candidates from multiple seats, including Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Araria, Gaya, Motihari, Nawada, Jamui, Bhagalpur, Siwan, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Vaishali and Gopalganj.
Meanwhile, the opposition 'Mahagathbandhan' alliance in Bihar is likely to finalise its seat-sharing in the next few days and may announce its candidates along with a joint manifesto this week.
Top sources said talks between the RJD and Congress are underway, and their leadership may meet on Monday as RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav are in the national capital.
On the delay in seat-sharing announcement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "We have to adjust some new partners in the 'Mahagathbandhan' and we have to adjust them too in seat-sharing."
"In the next two-three days, we expect all the seats to be finalised and declared," he said.
Asked about the number of seats the Congress will contest this time, Ramesh said, "Anything between half a century and a century".
The Congress contested on 70 assembly seats in the last Bihar polls and won 19, while the RJD contested on 144 seats and bagged 75 in the 243-member Assembly.
The Bihar Assembly elections will be conducted in two phases, on November 6 and 11.
(With inputs from Online Desk)
