NDA finalises seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar; JD(U), BJP to contest 101 seats each

Patna | After days of brainstorming, away from the heat and dust of poll-bound Bihar, the ruling NDA on Sunday came out with its seat-sharing formula for the elections to the 243-member assembly, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and the BJP deciding to contest 101 constituencies each, and leaving the rest for smaller allies.

This is the first time that the two top constituents of the NDA in the state are contesting an equal number of seats.

The announcement came less than a week left for the filing of nominations for the first phase of the elections.

The JD(U), headed by Kumar, who is seeking a record fifth consecutive term in office, agreed to contest 101 seats, as many as the BJP, a former junior ally which has, over the years, especially since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rise to national prominence, expanded its footprints in the state.

Union minister Chirag Paswan, who was accused of damaging the JD(U) in the last assembly polls, when he had revolted against the NDA, will field candidates of his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in 29 seats.

Smaller allies Hindustani Awam Morcha, headed by Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha got six seats each, according to the formula agreed upon "in an amicable atmosphere" by top leaders of all NDA constituents, who had been camping in Delhi for some time.

Manjhi, who had been insisting on "at least 15 seats" on the grounds that he needed to win eight for his party to get "recognised" status, left for Patna just before the formula was announced in the national capital, but stopped short of coming out in revolt.

"What the high command decided, we have accepted. But by giving us just six seats, they have underestimated us. It may cost the NDA in elections", Manjhi told reporters upon arriving at the airport here.

Earlier, the 80-year-old former chief minister had made it clear, in a post on X, that he would "be with Prime Minister Narendra Modi till my last breath".

Meanwhile, seat-sharing woes continued to plague the INDIA bloc, with top leaders of the RJD, its largest constituent, leaving for Delhi.

Filing of nomination papers for the first phase of elections will be over by October 17, and aspirants seemed to be running out of patience, as was evident in the ruckus created by them when RJD president Lalu Prasad, along with wife Rabri Devi and son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, left their residence to board the flight.

Bihar will go to the polls on November 6 and 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14.

According to a source close to the RJD, the party has made it clear that it will contest "not less than half of the total number of 243 seats in the assembly" and blamed smaller partners like the Congress, the Left and Vikassheel Insaan Party headed by Mukesh Sahni for the delay in finalising the seat-sharing formula.

There have been reports, in a section of the media, that the Congress, for long considered a spent force in Bihar, was being obdurate in negotiations, citing the recent success of 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' which saw Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi covering 25 districts of the state within a fortnight.

Speculations were rife that Prasad and his family had made a dash to Delhi to urge Gandhi to intervene, though former state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh put paid to such rumours.

"Lalu ji and his family members are in Delhi because they have to appear before a court", said Singh, who was formerly with the RJD, known to retain close ties with the party, and, incidentally, was seated next to Tejashwi Yadav on the Delhi-bound flight.

Notably, the RJD supremo and his family members are named in the land-for-jobs scam, which pertains to his tenure as the railway minister in the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

In conversation with journalists in Delhi, Singh, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said, "There is not much of a problem in seat-sharing. Rest assured of an announcement in a day or two".

In Patna, state Congress spokesman Rajesh Rathor took a jibe at the NDA, alleging that "the seat-sharing arrangement makes it clear that the BJP has cut Nitish Kumar to size. Ever since the two parties have been allies, it is for the first time that the JD(U) will not be contesting a higher number of seats than the BJP, in an assembly election. It is a clear signal that in the days to come the BJP will devour the JD(U)".

Meanwhile, the Jan Suraaj Party, which was formed just a year ago and has stolen a march on the entrenched coalitions by releasing its first list of 51 candidates a few days ago, is all set to announce more nominees on Monday.

All eyes would be on Raghopur, in Vaishali district, where Tejashwi Yadav aims at a hat-trick. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, a former poll strategist, has been dropping hints that he might contest the seat himself.