Bihar: NDA seat-sharing talks picks up pace; Pradhan meets alliance leaders

NDA leaders said that two broad formulas are being worked out in the alliance and a final seat-sharing picture would emerge by October 10

PATNA: The seat-sharing talks in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) picked up pace on Sunday with Union minister and Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan holding one-to-one talks with Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and Union ministers Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, HAM-S leader and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha.

Union minister and BJP's Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan meets Union minister and HAM (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi ahead of the state Assembly elections, in Patna, on Sunday. (PTI)

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the meeting with the LJP (RV) leader and Union minister Chirag Paswan is also scheduled later.

The series of meetings started with JD (U) leader Lallan Singh followed by meetings with Manjhi and Kushwaha. “Pradhan ji is my friend and ministerial colleague. It was a normal courtesy call,” said JD (U) leader Singh denying any talks on seat sharing.

People familiar with the matter in the NDA said that the HAM-S leader has submitted a list of 22 seats, out of which 10 has been finalised. The people said that the assembly seats of Kutumba, Imamganj, Tekari, Barachatti, Kasba, Jehanabad and Sikandra have all but sealed for the HAM-S, while names of remaining three seats would be finalised later.

“I cannot reveal what transpired in the meeting but all is good in NDA. The seat-sharing would be announced soon,” said Manjhi.

In the 2020 Assembly elections, the HAM-S contested on 7 seats and won 4. This time, the HAM has tripled its demand to 20 seats, a move that poses a major hurdle for the BJP in adjusting the distribution.

Pradhan’s meeting with Kushwaha, who is also demanding a respectable share, lasted 30 minutes and was attended by BJP leaders Vinod Tawdw and Rituraj Sinha.

The NDA leaders said that two broad formulas are being worked out in the alliance. One is that BJP gets 120 seats and gives 20 seats, from its quota to the LJP (RV) leaving it with 100 seats and JD (U) gets 123 seats, from which it would give 12 seats between Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM-S. This will leave the JD (U) with 111 seats.

The second formula is the JD-U could contest on 102 seats while the BJP might contest on 101 seats while remaining 40 seats would be distributed between other three allies

NDA leaders said that a final seat-sharing picture would emerge by October 10.

Buoyed by the party’s 100 per cent strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, LJP(RV) is expecting a good number of seats in the upcoming assembly elections.In the previous Lok Sabha polls, LJP won all five seats that it contested.

According to unconfirmed reports, BJP is not ready to give more than 25 seats to LJP(RV). Initially, it was offered 20 seats, but it was increased to 25 later.

BJP leaders in the know of the developments said JD(U) may contest 102, BJP 101, LJP(RV) 20, HAM and RLM 10 seats each, respectively.

While the BJP and the JD-U have reached an understanding to contest an equal number of seats — between 100 and 105 seats each– BJP leaders said that as a “political symbolism”, the JD-U may contest one seat more than the BJP.

In the 2020 Assembly elections, the JD(U), led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, contested 115 seats and the BJP 110. At the time, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), then part of the NDA, contested 11 seats and the HAM (S) seven constituencies, while the LJP (then combined) contested 135 seats on its own. The BJP emerged as the stronger partner, winning 74 seats compared to the JD(U)’s 43.