NDA Seat-Sharing Sparks Tensions Ahead of Bihar Polls

New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, but tensions among allies have surfaced. Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed mixed feelings about the six seats allocated to his party. While he stated, "We are satisfied with what we have been allotted and we have no complaints," he also warned that the NDA's decision to undervalue his party could lead to repercussions within the alliance.

Manjhi had initially sought 15 seats to maintain his party's previous strike rate from the 2020 Assembly polls. He remarked, "By giving six seats, they have undervalued us, it may have repercussions in NDA." The final seat allocation was announced by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with the BJP and Janata Dal (United) each contesting 101 seats, while Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field candidates on 29 seats. Both Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest six seats each.

The Congress party has seized upon the seat-sharing announcement, questioning the NDA's treatment of smaller allies. Congress leader Manoj Kumar highlighted the allocation of only six seats to Manjhi's community, asking, "Does this mean the Kushwaha community is worth only 6 seats in Bihar?" He further critiqued the NDA for undermining key caste groups and failing to honour its allies.

The seat-sharing discussions were intense, involving top NDA leaders, including BJP president JP Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. Despite the BJP reducing its seat count from 110 in 2020, it appears to have maintained its influence within the alliance, ensuring cohesion ahead of the elections scheduled for November 6 and 11, with vote counting on November 14.

Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), is still working on its seat-sharing strategy. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family have been in Delhi amid reports of tensions with the Congress, which is pushing to contest around 70 seats, similar to its previous tally in 2020.