Bihar elections: Did BJP, Chirag Paswan reach a consensus on seat-sharing?

As the National Democratic Alliance is expected to announce its seat-sharing formula for the Bihar Assembly elections in a day or two, Union minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)—a key constituent of the alliance—will hold its key meeting on Saturday.

 

The meeting will deliberate on the seat-sharing arrangements and finalise the party’s candidates, reports said.

 

Quoting sources, the IANS news agency reported that an understanding has been reached between the LJP (RV) and the Bharatiya Janata Party regarding the distribution of seats. As per the report, Chirag’s party is expected to get around 25-26 seats.

 

Chirag, who hopes to play a major role in the elections, had demanded a minimum of 45 assembly segments from the BJP and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), leaving the seat-sharing talks in the doldrums.

 

However, the consensus was reportedly arrived at after several rounds of meeting between Chirag and Union minister Nityanand Rai, who has been tasked by the BJP central leadership with the responsibility of holding discussions with the regional party.

 

Though the clear outcomes of the meetings are yet to be known, Chirag said on Friday that the discussions were moving forward in a “positive manner”.

 

"The talks are going in a positive manner and are in their end stage now. We want to hold discussions on all minute issues, seats, candidates, and campaigning,” he told reporters.

 

In the 2020 elections, the LJP (RV) contested on over 135 seats, but managed to win only one. The nascent party, however, inflicted heavy damage to the JD(U), which was not part of the NDA at that time.

 

Meanwhile, LJP (RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary said all MPs and office bearers of the party have authorised Chirag to make the final decision on seat-sharing.

 

"Our national president has said that they are continuously discussing, and all our MPs and office-bearers have authorised our national president, and whatever decision they take will be final. Since there are elections, such meetings continue to occur during the election period. We have a week to submit nominations. Our effort is to ensure that everything happens in a well-coordinated manner," she told reporters.

India