New Delhi: The NDA has officially announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, unveiling a power structure that could redefine political alignments in the state. The alliance has agreed on the following formula: 101 seats each for the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU), 29 for Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and six each for Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
One of the most significant developments from this arrangement is the BJP’s move toward a leadership position within the alliance. While maintaining a formal balance with the JDU, the BJP’s equal share of seats signals a definitive shift in strategy. This mirrors the party’s stance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it contested 17 seats compared to the JDU’s 16.
This balance suggests the BJP is no longer willing to play a secondary role in Bihar politics and is actively laying the groundwork for a long-term leadership bid in the state.
Another standout outcome of the deal is the prominent space given to Chirag Paswan. With 29 seats, his party has gained a much larger share than it previously held, marking him as a central figure in NDA’s strategy for Dalit outreach.
Paswan had been pushing hard during the negotiations, initially demanding 40 to 45 seats. The final deal, while allocating him one more seat than the BJP’s original offer, was secured after multiple rounds of talks and concessions from both the BJP and JDU. Notably, this involved reducing the number of seats allocated to other allies, including Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Paswan’s bargaining strength stemmed from his party’s 100% strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it won all five seats it contested. He also argued for representation in at least two assembly segments within each of those parliamentary constituencies.
Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM has seen its share reduced to six seats down by one from the 2020 elections. Political observers view this as a clear consequence of internal alliance adjustments, made to accommodate Paswan’s growing political stature. This realignment underscores a broader shift in NDA’s Dalit strategy, with Paswan now being projected as the alliance’s primary Dalit leader in Bihar.
The JDU, which contested 115 seats in the 2020 assembly polls, has now agreed to 101 seats signifying a continued decline in its political leverage. The reduction, combined with the BJP’s growing assertiveness and the elevation of Chirag Paswan, indicates a transition in the power dynamics within the NDA.
As the 2025 elections draw closer, the seat-sharing formula marks a decisive moment in Bihar politics. With the BJP stepping into a leadership role, Chirag Paswan rising as a prominent Dalit face, and Nitish Kumar’s influence seemingly on the wane, the NDA’s strategy reflects both consolidation and transformation in its electoral approach.
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