After Days of Tense Bargaining, NDA Seals Bihar Seat-Sharing Deal: BJP and JD(U) Get 101 Seats Each as Smaller Allies Settle for Less
By Tajdar H Jaidi
After days of hectic deliberations, behind-the-scenes bargaining, and subtle infighting among allies, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday finally announced its seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The much-awaited formula, which had kept political observers and party cadres on edge, now paves the way for the ruling coalition to step into campaign mode with a united front — at least on paper.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been appointed as the BJP’s election in-charge for Bihar, declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) — the two major allies — will contest 101 seats each in the 243-member Assembly.
The agreement marks a delicate balancing act between the two dominant partners, both of whom had been quietly pushing for a larger share amid shifting voter equations and internal pressures.
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, has been allotted 29 seats, while Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) have been given six seats each under the NDA arrangement.
While the announcement brought an official end to weeks of speculation, insiders say the process leading up to it was anything but smooth.
For the past several weeks, the NDA camp in Bihar had been witnessing mounting unease, with smaller allies expressing dissatisfaction over the BJP–JD(U)’s dominance in the talks.
Chirag Paswan, sources say, had been particularly assertive in demanding a “respectable” number of seats, reminding the alliance of his party’s traditional influence in central Bihar and Dalit-dominated belts.
Similarly, Upendra Kushwaha — known for his tactical maneuvering — was reportedly reluctant to settle for less than half a dozen seats, eventually managing to secure constituencies such as Ujiarpur, Madhubani, Sasaram, Dinara, Mahua, and Bajpatti.
On the other hand, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM was allotted six seats — Tekari, Kutumba, Atari, Imamganj, Sikandra, and Barachatti — after multiple rounds of persuasion and coordination between state and central leaders.
According to party insiders, the negotiations were tense till the final hours, with several NDA meetings stretching late into the night.
Both the BJP and JD(U) had to walk a political tightrope, balancing the ambitions of their partners while maintaining their own territorial strongholds.
Dharmendra Pradhan, who is credited with helping the BJP secure a third consecutive win in Haryana, was brought in to manage the Bihar challenge — a state notorious for its caste-driven politics and coalition complexities.
Speaking after the announcement, he projected confidence and unity. The NDA allies have completed the distribution of seats in a cordial atmosphere. All workers and leaders of the NDA parties warmly welcome this. Bihar is ready, and once again, an NDA government will be formed,” Pradhan said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Political analysts, however, believe the apparent calm masks the underlying tensions that could resurface once the campaign gains momentum.
The upcoming elections will test not only the NDA’s organizational strength but also its ability to maintain cohesion among allies with competing caste bases and personal ambitions.
For now, though, the NDA leadership seems determined to send a message of unity — a “show of strength” intended to contrast the opposition’s fragmented state.
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