NDA seat-sharing in Bihar nearly sealed: JD(U) likely to contest 102, BJP 101

In the 2020 assembly election, the BJP contested 110 seats and won 74 of them

As Bihar prepares for upcoming assembly polls, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing arrangement is close to being sealed. According to sources cited by CNN-News18, the BJP and JD(U) have struck a consensus, and an official announcement is expected to be made soon.

The emerging formula indicates that the JD(U) could contest on 102 seats, while the BJP on 101. The arithematic has been reached keeping chief minister Nitish Kumar’s insistence of “at least one more seat than BJP" in mind.

The sources further said that Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) could get around 20 seats.

The distribution represents a slight adjustment from the 2020 assembly polls, during which JD(U) fielded candidates in 115 seats and BJP in 110. Smaller allies -- Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and Mukesh Sahni’s VIP -- were allotted seven and 11 seats, respectively.

‘Respectable number of seats’

Earlier, Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan asserted that his party would not accept anything less than a respectable number of seats in the seat-sharing arrangement among NDA constituents.

“We will not compromise on a respectable number of seats allocated to our party,” he said.

According to BJP sources cited in the CNN-News18 report, Paswan is looking for 40 seats but the alliance may not be in a position to part with more than 20 seats.

Bihar 2020 Assembly polls

In the 2020 assembly election, the BJP contested 110 seats and won 74 of them. On the other hand, the JD(U) could manage only 43 seats of the 115 it fielded its candidates from. Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party, which contested 13 seats last time as part of NDA, is now part of the Mahagathbandhan.

Upendra Kushwaha, who leads the Rastriya Lok Morcha, contested the 2020 polls in alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM but is now part of the NDA.

This time, the Assembly polls in the state are likely to be held in November.