NEW DELHI: The BJP and the JD(U) will contest 101 seats each in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, while Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field candidates on 29 seats, Union Minister and BJP’s Bihar poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Sunday.
In a post on X, as the BJP’s Central Election Committee meeting began — attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders — Pradhan said Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest six seats each.
This marks the first time since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ended the RJD’s 15-year rule in 2005 that the JD(U) will contest the same number of seats as the BJP — reflecting the regional party’s waning influence and the BJP’s growing dominance in the alliance.
Notably, during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had contested one more seat than the JD(U), also a first.
Pradhan said that all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners had completed seat-sharing “cordially,” adding, “Leaders and workers of all NDA parties welcome this with happiness. Bihar is ready for another NDA government.”
Paswan and Kushwaha echoed Pradhan’s optimism, though Manjhi — who received fewer seats than expected — expressed mixed feelings. Hours before the announcement, he posted on X reaffirming his loyalty to Prime Minister Modi “till my last breath” and added, “Bihar will again have a Modi-Nitish government.”
Later, speaking to reporters, Manjhi said he accepted the BJP’s decision but felt his party was “undervalued,” warning that the move could have “repercussions” for the NDA.
The seat-sharing announcement followed days of intense negotiations among BJP leaders and allies, excluding the JD(U), which had earlier reached an agreement with the BJP. Allies like Paswan, Manjhi, and Kushwaha reportedly drove hard bargains — with Paswan ultimately securing a more favorable deal.
The 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11.
In the 2020 assembly elections, the JD(U) had contested 115 seats, the BJP 110, while Paswan’s party went solo due to differences with Nitish Kumar. The NDA won 125 seats, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan secured 110.
Meanwhile, the opposition Mahagathbandhan is expected to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement soon. Sources said talks between the RJD and Congress are ongoing, with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav currently in New Delhi.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the delay was due to the inclusion of new partners, adding, “In the next two-three days, we expect all the seats to be finalised and declared.”
Asked about Congress’s share of seats, he said it would contest “anywhere between half a century and a century.”
In the 2020 polls, Congress contested 70 seats and won 19, while the RJD fought 144 and bagged 75 in the 243-member Assembly.
