Who Will Finalize the Candidates for Bihar Polls: BJP Parliamentary Board?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Keshav Prasad Maurya announces that the BJP’s parliamentary board will finalize candidates for Bihar polls.
- The meeting included key figures like Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
- Internal tensions among NDA allies regarding seat-sharing arrangements are emerging.
- Chirag Paswan demands 40 seats, while Jitan Ram Manjhi requests 15 seats for HAM.
- Recognition as a regional party remains a challenge for the Hindustani Awam Morcha.
Patna, Oct 8 (NationPress) Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister, Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is also in charge of the Bihar elections, announced on Wednesday that the BJP’s parliamentary board will ultimately make the decision regarding the candidate selection for the Bihar Assembly elections.
Maurya participated in a significant meeting at the BJP state headquarters in Patna, attended by senior party figures including Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.
During this critical meeting, the leaders deliberated over potential candidates for every constituency.
The names that were shortlisted will now be sent to the party’s parliamentary board for final endorsement.
When asked about the internal tensions within the NDA, Maurya stated, “Every constituent partner is satisfied. The NDA stands united, and we are poised to win the Bihar elections. There is a robust wave supporting the NDA in Bihar.”
His comments come as discontent is evident among NDA allies, with LJPRV chief Chirag Paswan and HAM patron Jitan Ram Manjhi expressing their grievances regarding the seat-sharing arrangement.
As discussions on seat-sharing progress within the NDA, insiders have indicated that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan is demanding 40 seats for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
On the other hand, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has publicly reiterated his request for 15 seats, cautioning that his party may withdraw from the electoral race if the NDA’s senior partners - the BJP and JDU - do not meet this demand.
Manjhi highlighted his party’s impressive performance in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, where HAM contested seven seats and secured victories in four, achieving a strike rate of about 60 percent.
He emphasized that if the NDA allocates 15 seats this time, HAM could potentially win eight to nine seats, thus achieving the status of a regional party in Bihar.
Reflecting on a recent setback, Manjhi noted that during a recent all-party meeting convened by the Election Commission, HAM was not invited.
“It was disappointing when the Election Commission did not include HAM in the discussions. Despite having four MLAs, one MLC, and one MP, our party has yet to receive acknowledgment as a regional party,” he said.