The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar on Sunday announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the highly anticipated elections to the 243-member state assembly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will each contest 101 seats, while the remaining 41 seats have been allocated to smaller coalition partners.
This strategic decision marks a significant shift in Bihar’s political landscape, given that it is the first time since 2005 that the JD(U) will not field more candidates than the BJP. This change reflects the BJP’s increasing influence and the JD(U)’s waning prominence in the state’s political arena.
In the finalized agreement, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, has been allocated 29 constituencies, while Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), headed by Jitan Ram Manjhi, will contest six seats. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha, led by Upendra Kushwaha, will also fight for six constituencies.
BJP Bihar poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan confirmed that the decision came after amicable discussions among partners, stating, “All partners reached the decision in a cordial manner. Bihar is ready for another NDA government.” Echoing these sentiments, Paswan, Kushwaha, and JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha described the talks as “amicable and unanimous.”
Despite previous concerns about discontent among allies, Jitan Ram Manjhi accepted the allocation positively, remarking, “We are satisfied with what we have received. I will stay with Prime Minister Narendra Modi till my last breath.”
The electoral dynamics have shifted dramatically since the 2020 assembly polls, during which the JD(U) contested 115 seats, compared to the BJP’s 110, with HAM fighting for just seven. In that election, JD(U) managed to win only 43 seats, while BJP secured 74 seats. These outcomes strained the existing alliance and briefly led to Nitish Kumar’s departure from the NDA.
The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections are set to take place in two phases, with voting scheduled for November 6 and 11, and counting of votes on November 14. With this announcement, the political landscape of Bihar appears to be gearing up for intense competition.
