NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] set to contest 101 seats each in the 243-member House.
The announcement was made by Union Minister and BJP’s Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan on social media platform X.
As per the seat-sharing formula, Union Minister Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allotted 29 seats.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), led by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest six seats each.
Pradhan said that the seat-sharing exercise had been conducted in a “cordial manner” and that all NDA partners had expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
“Leaders and workers of all NDA parties welcome this with happiness. Bihar is ready for another NDA government,” he said.
The finalisation of the pact follows a prolonged round of negotiations involving the BJP leadership and its smaller allies. While the JD(U) had earlier reached an understanding with the BJP, parties such as the LJP(RV), HAM(S), and RLM had engaged in tough bargaining, often expressing discontent during the discussions.
The seat distribution also reflects a shift in the balance of power within the alliance. In the 2020 Assembly elections, the JD(U) contested 115 seats and the BJP 110, with the LJP contesting independently. This is the first time that the JD(U) will contest the same number of seats as the BJP, signalling a recalibration of political weight within the ruling coalition.
Agencies
NDA finalises seat-sharing for Bihar polls: BJP, JD(U) to contest 101 seats each
