Bihar elections 2025: Nitish-Shah meeting creates buzz around seat-sharing talks

The Bihar assembly elections are due in October-November though the Election Commission is yet to make a formal announcement regarding the schedule.

A 30-minute meeting between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Union home minister Amit Shah at a Patna hotel on Thursday morning has fuelled speculations over seat-sharing talks within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp in the run up to the state elections later this year.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with Union home minister Amit Shah in Patna on Thursday. (Photo from X)

The meeting comes amid reports of dissent among smaller NDA allies regarding the numbers and the yet-to-be-confirmed seat-sharing formula within the alliance.

The Bihar assembly elections are due in October-November though the Election Commission is yet to make a formal announcement regarding the schedule.

Deputy chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Samrat Choudhary, minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Jha were also present at the meeting.

People familiar with the details of the meeting suggest that the talks centred around seat-sharing arrangements and overall election strategy for the NDA in Bihar.

A JD(U) leader, however, called it a normal courtesy call. “It was a courtesy meeting. He is the Union home minister, and Nitish Kumar, besides being the CM of the state, is also the JD(U) national president. No talks on seat sharing took place,” Choudhary said. A BJP minister also called it a courtesy meeting.

This was the first major formal meeting between Kumar and Shah since the former’s return to the NDA fold in 2024. Political observers believe its outcome could significantly shape Bihar’s pre-poll dynamics.

The Shah-Kumar meeting was also important as reports of friction within the NDA alliance over seat distribution have been circulating for weeks. While both the BJP and JD(U) are keen to assert dominance, allies have also stepped up their demands.

Union minister and HAM-S leader Jitan Ram Manjhi had been openly demanding no less than 15-20 seats, while LJP (Ram Vilas), led by Chirag Paswan, has sought “respectable” representation, with Jamui MP Arun Bharti hinting at a claim of anywhere between 43 and 137 seats.

Senior BJP leaders of the state made it clear that seat-sharing won’t be made public till the elections are announced.