The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalized its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. As per the agreement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] will contest 101 constituencies each, while Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP(R)] has been allocated 29 seats out of the total 243.

 

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats each under the NDA banner.

 

The seat-sharing formula was finalized after several rounds of discussions held in Delhi and Patna involving senior NDA strategists, including BJP’s election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, Vinod Tawde, and Nityanand Rai. The leadership of LJP(R), RLM, and HAM also participated in these deliberations. Initially, Chirag Paswan had demanded 40 seats but agreed to 29 following extensive negotiations.

 

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan officially announced the seat-sharing decision on social media platform X, emphasizing the alliance’s unity and coordination.

 

This marks the first occasion since 2005 that the BJP and JD(U) will contest an equal number of seats in Bihar. In the 2005 assembly polls, JD(U) had contested 139 seats while BJP fielded candidates in 102. The 2010 elections saw JD(U) fight on 141 and BJP on 102 seats. Later, in 2015, JD(U) aligned with the RJD, while in 2020, JD(U) contested 115 and BJP 110 seats.

 

By choosing to contest on equal footing this time, both BJP and JD(U) aim to signal to voters that their alliance remains stable and unified in Bihar. Chirag Paswan, meanwhile, is being seen as one of the biggest beneficiaries of this pact. Despite being initially offered 26 seats, the LJP(R) managed to secure 29, reportedly with BJP agreeing to give up a few of its sitting seats to accommodate him.

 

LJP(R) had achieved a 100% strike rate in the previous Lok Sabha elections, winning all five constituencies it contested. On the other hand, HAM, which had demanded 15 seats, settled for six this time. Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying his party fully accepts the verdict of the NDA leadership.

 

“In Parliament, we were given only one seat, and we were not upset then. Similarly, even if we get six now, we accept the high command’s decision,” Manjhi said. He reaffirmed his loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that he would stand with him “till his last breath.”

 

JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha shared on X that the NDA partners finalized the seat distribution amicably: JD(U) – 101, BJP – 101, LJP(R) – 29, RLM – 6, HAM – 6. He added that all parties are united in their goal to ensure Nitish Kumar’s return as Chief Minister with a clear majority. Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha also posted similar confirmations, emphasizing that the deal was reached in a cordial environment.

 

Meanwhile, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) released its first list of 32 candidates, signaling the formation of a potential third front in Bihar. AIMIM’s Bihar chief Akhtarul Iman announced that the party would contest from several constituencies, including Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Araria, Gaya, Motihari, Nawada, Jamui, Bhagalpur, Siwan, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Vaishali, and Gopalganj.

 

In the opposition camp, the Mahagathbandhan alliance is expected to finalize its own seat-sharing arrangement soon. Sources suggest that discussions between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress are in the final phase, with key leaders including Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav currently in New Delhi for talks.

 

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh mentioned that the delay is due to the inclusion of new allies in the grand alliance and that the final list of seats would be released within the next few days. “We are working to adjust new partners in the seat distribution process. Within two to three days, we expect everything to be finalized,” he said.