Has NDA Finalised Seat-Sharing for Bihar Polls?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- NDA Coalition: Composed of JD-U, BJP, LJP-RV, RLM, and HAM.
- Seat Distribution: JD-U and BJP each contesting 101 seats.
- Alliance Strength: The agreement indicates a united front among NDA partners.
- Electoral Strategy: Aimed at maximizing chances of success in Bihar.
- Chirag Paswan's Gain: LJP-RV secures 29 seats after negotiations.
Patna, Oct 12 (NationPress) The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has officially confirmed its seat-sharing strategy for the Bihar Assembly elections set to occur soon. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will each stand for 101 seats.
On social media platform X, Bihar BJP's election coordinator, Vinod Tawde, made the announcement, stating, "An organized and committed NDA... All NDA partners have finalized the seat-sharing arrangement in a friendly manner for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections."
In addition to the BJP and JD-U, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas will contest 29 seats, while Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will each contest 6 seats.
Discussing the seat-sharing within the ruling NDA, BJP's Bihar in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan confirmed that the JD(U) and BJP will contest 101 seats each, with the remaining seats allocated to junior coalition partners, including LJP-RV, RLM, and HAM.
This agreement follows numerous discussions among NDA alliance members in both Delhi and Patna to finalize the seat-sharing structure.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared the seat-sharing details on his X account, stating, "We, the NDA allies, have completed the seat-sharing in a cordial atmosphere. JD-U (101), BJP (101), LJP-Ram Vilas 29, Rashtriya Lok Morcha 6, and Hindustani Awam Morcha 6."
He added, "NDA partners have finalized the distribution of seats amicably. All members of NDA parties enthusiastically welcome this. Bihar is ready... once again for an NDA government!"
Chirag Paswan of the LJP-RV also expressed his optimism on X, asserting that the NDA coalition remains robust, and all partners are poised to campaign energetically to restore the NDA government in Bihar.
Notably, the seat-sharing agreement was simultaneously announced by prominent NDA leaders, such as Vinod Tawde, Sanjay Jha from JD(U), Upendra Kushwaha from RLM, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, and Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal, through social media on Sunday evening.
Following the NDA's seat-sharing announcement, Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed his contentment, stating, "During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, our leadership granted me one seat, and we were pleased. Now we have been allocated six seats, and we are satisfied with this too."
The most significant beneficiary in the NDA's seat-sharing negotiation appears to be Chirag Paswan, whose party secured 29 seats after vigorous discussions.
Chirag Paswan's LJP-RV achieved a perfect success rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning all five contested seats, which led to the allocation of 29 seats for the Bihar Assembly elections.
Upendra Kushwaha's RLM also received a satisfactory allocation of 6 seats, aligning with his expectations for the upcoming elections.
With the seat-sharing agreement finalized, all NDA allies are gearing up for an intense electoral competition, aiming to maintain power in Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership.