Sources say BJP and JDU have agreed on the overall seat distribution, but a deadlock persists over Chirag Paswan’s share.
The LJP is demanding around 40 seats, while BJP wants to limit it to 22–27, making this the main point of contention within the NDA.
NDA’s Bihar election in-charge and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan arrived in Delhi on Tuesday to resolve tensions within the alliance.
During a 40-minute meeting, LJP laid out its demands, seeking “respectable” assembly seats based on its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The party also requested that the vote share it received in the 2020 assembly elections be considered in seat allocation and asked for at least two assembly seats within each Lok Sabha constituency won by the LJP.
Seats for senior party leaders, including state president Raju Tiwari from Govindganj, were also claimed. BJP assured Chirag that his demands would be discussed at the party level and a response given soon.
Dispute with HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi persists
Apart from LJP, seat-sharing with Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi remains unresolved. Manjhi is seeking around 20 seats.
Reports indicate that Pradhan is maintaining continuous dialogue with him to reach a consensus among all NDA constituents.
If today’s discussions yield positive results, the NDA is expected to announce its final seat-sharing plan within the next two to three days, likely at a major meeting in Patna.
The talks also covered Bihar’s electoral climate, key poll issues, and preparations for Ram Vilas Paswan’s death anniversary on October 8.
Reconciliation efforts intensify
Pradhan’s efforts are seen as a significant attempt to break the ongoing deadlock within the NDA. The leadership aims to finalise the seat-sharing formula before October 10 to avoid delays in announcing candidates and launching the election campaign
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