As Bihar gears up for the crucial Assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and 11, the political atmosphere is charged with anticipation as both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) are engaged in intense negotiations over seat-sharing. With nominations for the first phase commencing on October 10, parties are under pressure to finalize their strategies.
Within the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stated that seat-sharing arrangements with its alliance partners are expected to be finalized within the next two days. This announcement comes as the BJP's election committee convened to discuss candidate selection and seat distribution for the upcoming elections. A meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) is scheduled for October 12. Union Minister and BJP Election In-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, along with State President Dr. Dilip Jaiswal and other members of the Election Committee, are actively involved in these deliberations.
While the BJP and Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) have reportedly finalized the names of their probable candidates, smaller allies within the NDA are vying for a larger share of seats. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP-RV), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, has demanded 40 seats from the BJP. Sources suggest that the BJP might be offering around 25-26 seats, a figure Paswan finds unsatisfactory. Paswan is considered a tough negotiator, referencing his party's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where they won all five seats they contested. Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led by Jitan Ram Manjhi, has further complicated matters by demanding 15 seats. Manjhi has asserted that his party may not contest the election if a respectable number of seats is not offered.
Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has downplayed any conflict, assuring that an official announcement regarding seat sharing will be made soon. It is expected that the BJP will contest 101 seats, while JD(U) will field candidates in 102 constituencies.
On the other side of the political spectrum, the Grand Alliance is also facing challenges in finalizing its seat-sharing arrangements. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties are engaged in intense negotiations. The Congress party held a meeting of its Central Election Committee in New Delhi to discuss its list of candidates. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) President Rajesh Ram stated that the party would deliberate on the seats likely to come under its share, with discussions underway between the RJD and other alliance partners. The Congress has finalized candidates for 25 seats in the first phase. The CPI(ML) has demanded a respectable number of seats, considering its track record in the last Assembly elections. The RJD is likely to contest 135-140 seats.
Political analyst Ajay Kumar notes that smaller allies are leveraging their positions to secure a favorable share of seats. Parties like the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) are also demanding a significant number of seats.
Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj Party is set to announce its list of candidates. Kishor has stated that his party will contest independently, without forming any alliances.
The Bihar Assembly has 243 seats. In the 2020 elections, the NDA secured 125 seats, while the Grand Alliance won 110.
