Bihar – The much-awaited NDA Seat Sharing Announcement for the Bihar Assembly elections is expected within the next two to three days, as alliance partners engage in a final round of discussions to settle differences. With nominations for the first phase starting on October 10, senior leaders from the BJP, LJP (Ram Vilas), and HAM-S are negotiating the final distribution of seats to ensure alliance unity before the polls.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP’s Bihar election in-charge, and Vinod Tawde met LJP (RV) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan in New Delhi to discuss his demands on Tuesday. The NDA Seat Sharing Announcement has been delayed due to differences over the number of seats each party will contest.
Chirag Paswan’s Seat Demands
Chirag Paswan has strongly pushed for his party to receive at least two Assembly seats in each of the five Lok Sabha constituencies it won in 2024. Sources revealed that LJP (RV) is demanding around 45 to 54 seats, while BJP is only ready to offer 20 to 25 seats. The NDA Seat Sharing Announcement is expected to include a compromise formula to satisfy both sides.
The meeting between Chirag Paswan and BJP leaders Dharmendra Pradhan, Vinod Tawde, and Bihar minister Mangal Pandey lasted for an hour. According to insiders, BJP has assured that Paswan’s demands will be discussed at the party level before the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement is finalized.
A senior leader confirmed that Chirag Paswan will meet top BJP leadership again later this week to finalize the agreement.
BJP’s Balancing Act
The BJP is walking a tightrope in balancing its regional partners’ aspirations while maintaining its dominance in the alliance. The NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will be critical to ensuring coordination among partners, especially as smaller allies like LJP (RV) and HAM-S seek a stronger presence in the Bihar political landscape.
The BJP has also been evaluating electoral data from the 2020 assembly polls to ensure that winnable seats are distributed strategically. Leaders close to the talks said that the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will likely be made in Patna once consensus is achieved.
Paswan’s Trusted Leaders and Constituency Requests
Chirag Paswan has also placed special requests for two constituencies—Brahmapur and Govindganj—for his close associates. Brahmapur has been sought for Hulas Pandey, chairman of the LJP (RV) parliamentary board, while Govindganj has been requested for the party’s state president, Raju Tiwari.
In the 2020 elections, LJP contested both these seats but failed to win. However, Paswan believes including them in the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will strengthen the party’s grassroots network. BJP insiders say these demands are under review but have not yet been accepted.
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HAM-S Chief Manjhi’s Push for More Seats
Adding another layer to the negotiations, Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) leader and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has demanded at least 15 seats for his party. He emphasized that every regional party has aspirations to grow independently.
However, the BJP has so far offered HAM-S 10 seats, identifying seven of them already. The differences need to be resolved before the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement is made public. Manjhi’s party is a smaller but significant partner in the NDA equation and holds influence in certain pockets of Bihar.
Timeline for Announcement
Sources close to the discussions believe that the final NDA Seat Sharing Announcement may happen around October 9 or 10, just before the nomination process begins. Chirag Paswan is scheduled to visit Khagaria on Wednesday for his father Ram Vilas Paswan’s death anniversary, making an early resolution unlikely.
The BJP leadership, however, wants to complete negotiations soon to begin joint campaign planning. Coordination between the alliance partners is crucial, as the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will determine the tone and unity of the campaign.
Election Strategy and Issues
The meetings have not only focused on the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement but also on key poll issues such as development, social welfare, and caste representation. BJP leaders believe that highlighting infrastructure achievements and governance reforms will be central to their campaign.
The NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will likely reflect a balance between performance-based allocation and political considerations. Leaders said that once the seat division is clear, all partners will jointly launch the campaign from Patna, reinforcing the image of alliance unity.
Alliance Dynamics Ahead of Polls
The NDA’s Bihar unit is striving to avoid internal friction that could impact its performance in the elections. The NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will play a vital role in setting the narrative of a cohesive alliance against the opposition bloc.
Political analysts suggest that any delay in the NDA Seat Sharing Announcement could lead to confusion at the grassroots level, affecting candidate selection and campaign coordination. Hence, the focus remains on ensuring that the process concludes smoothly within the next few days.
As Bihar gears up for the polls, the final NDA Seat Sharing Announcement will shape the political landscape and decide how effectively the alliance can retain power in the state.
