Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The BJP and the JDU will fight on equal number of seats in the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar, marking the first time that the JDU will not be fighting on a higher number of seats. BJP poll in-charge for the state, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan made the announcement late Sunday.
Pradhan said that both the BJP and the JDU will fight on 101 seats each, while Chirag Paswan led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest on 29 seats, while Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party will fight on six seats each in the 243 member assembly.
“Among the NDA allies, we have completed the distribution of seats in a cordial atmosphere. All workers and leaders of NDA parties have warmly welcomed it. Bihar is ready,” Pradhan said, while making the announcement.
While the nominations for the first phase of elections started on October 10, the BJP or any of the NDA allies are yet to announce tickets. A key meeting of the Central Election Committee of the BJP continued to be held late into Sunday evening. The seat distribution among the NDA allies was also decided in the meeting, which was chaired by PM Modi. Sources in the BJP said that tickets will be announced on Monday.
Sources in the BJP said that a significant number of back and forth took place between Chirag Paswan and the BJP leadership over the seats to be given to him. Chirag’s strike rate of 100% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he won all the 5 seats his party contested, had given him the bargaining power.
“He had earlier asked for 40 seats, but after several meetings, 29 seats were agreed to. His vote share will add to our tally,” a senior leader of the BJP said.
Manjhi, who had expressed his displeasure over not being invited as part of the NDA delegation that went to the Election Commission last week, said that he was happy with the seat distribution. “In Parliament, we were given one seat, we were happy then. And now, we have been given six seats, and we respect the decision of the leadership,” Manjhi said. He had said that if he’s given fewer seats, his party will not contest at all.
Sources in the BJP said that he decided to stick to the present arrangement when the prime minister placed a call to him. “He will ask for some ministerial berths, but for now, six seats are agreed to,” the senior BJP leader quoted above said.
Manjhi had also expressed his displeasure earlier that Chirag Paswan was given more importance in the alliance. On Sunday, when asked about 29 seats given to LJP (Ram Vilas), he said: “Others can understand what they received, but we are satisfied with what we have been allotted and we have no complaints.”