As Bihar gears up for the upcoming assembly elections, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is in the midst of finalising its seat-sharing arrangements, with indications suggesting that both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) are likely to contest on fewer seats compared to the 2020 elections. Simultaneously, NDA allies are asserting their positions, leading to intense negotiations to ensure a mutually agreeable distribution of constituencies.
Several reports suggest the JD(U) is planning to contest 103 seats, a decrease from the 115 they contested in 2020. Similarly, the BJP is expected to field candidates in 102 constituencies, down from 110 in the previous election. This potential reduction in seats for the two major NDA partners comes as smaller allies seek to solidify their presence in the coalition. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) may be allocated 20–25 seats, with a focus on areas where it currently holds five sitting Members of Parliament. Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) could contest eight seats, while Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP may receive five to six seats.
These negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of the announcement of the Bihar Assembly election schedule, intensifying the pressure on all parties to finalize their strategies. The BJP Election Committee recently convened its third meeting at the party's state headquarters in Patna to deliberate on seat distribution and candidate selection. Union Minister and BJP Election In-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, along with State President Dr. Dilip Jaiswal and other committee members, are participating in these discussions.
While the seat-sharing talks are ongoing, leaders from the NDA are publicly expressing confidence in the alliance's unity. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya stated that "No one is angry, everyone is happy and everyone will remain happy". Union Minister Giriraj Singh has also affirmed that Nitish Kumar will be the face of the NDA in the Bihar elections, further emphasizing the alliance's cohesiveness. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that the NDA alliance in Bihar is moving ahead with “complete unity and clarity of leadership”.
Meanwhile, the opposition Grand Alliance is also engaged in seat-sharing discussions. The Congress Party held a meeting of its Central Election Committee in New Delhi to discuss its list of candidates. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President Rajesh Ram said the party would deliberate on the seats likely to come under its share. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other alliance partners are also in discussions over seat sharing. The INDIA bloc, which includes RJD, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), and VIP, is trying to finalize seat-sharing for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. CPI(ML) rejected RJD's offer of 19 seats, demanding 40–45. The alliance is expected to bring in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Pashupati Kumar Paras-led Rashtriya LJP.
The Bihar Assembly election is scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. As both the NDA and the Grand Alliance work to finalize their seat-sharing arrangements, the political landscape in Bihar is poised for intense competition.
