NDA Finalises Seat-Sharing Formula for Bihar Assembly Elections

New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) set to contest 101 seats each in the 243-member Assembly. The arrangement was revealed by Union Minister and BJP’s Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan following a high-level meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders.

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, has been allotted 29 seats, while Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest six seats each.

This marks a significant shift in the NDA’s internal dynamics for the first time since the alliance ended the RJD-led government’s 15-year rule in 2005, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) will not contest more seats than the BJP, signalling a clear acknowledgment of the BJP’s growing influence and the JD(U)’s waning hold in the state.

“All NDA partners have completed seat distribution in a cordial manner,” Pradhan said, adding, “Leaders and workers of all NDA parties welcome this with happiness. Bihar is ready for another NDA government.”

Paswan, who secured the most favourable deal among smaller allies, and Kushwaha endorsed Pradhan’s optimism. However, Manjhi expressed mixed feelings, stating that while he remains loyal to Prime Minister Modi “till my last breath,” his party had been undervalued, a decision he warned could have repercussions for the alliance.

The announcement followed intense negotiations between the BJP and its allies, excluding the JD(U), which had earlier reached an understanding with the saffron party. Despite some friction, the NDA managed to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement amicably.

Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11. In the 2020 Assembly elections, the JD(U) contested 115 seats and the BJP 110, while Paswan’s LJP went solo. The NDA had then secured a narrow majority with 125 seats against the Mahagathbandhan’s 110.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the RJD and Congress is expected to finalise its seat-sharing formula within the next few days. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav are in New Delhi for discussions with Congress leaders, with sources indicating that a joint manifesto and candidate list could be announced later this week.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the alliance is “adjusting new partners,” adding, “In the next two to three days, we expect all seats to be finalised.” The Congress is likely to contest between 50 and 100 seats this time, down from the 70 it fought in 2020, when it won 19 seats.

The stage is thus set for a high-stakes political battle in Bihar, with the NDA banking on the Modi-Nitish partnership and the Mahagathbandhan attempting to regain lost ground through renewed coordination.