Patna
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday officially finalized its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. In a notable move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] will contest an equal number of seats — 101 each — in the 243-member Assembly.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP’s election in-charge for Bihar, shared the details of the agreement on social media. He described the seat-sharing discussions as “cordial” and said all NDA allies were satisfied with the outcome.
“This agreement has been welcomed happily by leaders and workers of all NDA parties. Bihar is ready for another NDA government,” Pradhan said.
The announcement comes after several rounds of intense discussions between BJP, JD(U), and their allies. While the BJP and JD(U) had reached a broad understanding earlier, smaller allies like LJP(RV), HAM(S), and RLM had raised concerns during talks, demanding a fair share of seats.
The final formula marks a shift in internal alliance dynamics. In the 2020 elections, the JD(U) contested 115 seats and BJP 110. This time, both are contesting an equal number, showing a recalibration of power within the alliance.
The equal seat distribution between JD(U) and BJP is seen as a signal of continued unity between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The elections will be held in two phases, and the NDA is aiming for another term in power in the state.
As per the agreement:
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been given 29 seats.
Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) will contest 6 seats.
Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha has also been allotted 6 seats.
