Bihar Polls: JD(U) Bags 102, BJP Gets 101 As NDA's Seat-Sharing Talks Near Final Stage | Exclusive

Last Updated:September 24, 2025, 17:25 IST

Sources in BJP suggest Chirag Paswan wants 40 seats but the alliance may not be in a position to part with more than 20 seats

The arithmetic has been reached keeping in mind Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s insistence of “at least one more seat than BJP”. (PTI)

As Bihar heads toward its high-stakes assembly polls in a few months, the contours of the Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat-sharing formula are almost settled. Sources suggest that the BJP and Janata Dal (United) have reached a consensus, with a formal announcement expected soon.

According to the emerging formula, JD(U) is likely to contest on 102 seats, while the BJP will get 101. The arithmetic has been reached keeping in mind Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s insistence of “at least one more seat than BJP". Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is expected to be allotted 20 seats, say sources. The distribution marks a slight recalibration from the 2020 assembly elections, when JD(U) had fielded candidates on 115 seats and BJP on 110. Smaller allies then—Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and Mukesh Sahni’s VIP—were given seven and 11 seats, respectively.

Chirag Paswan on Monday asserted that his party would not accept anything less than a respectable number of seats, without making it clear what number his party would consider “respectable". “We will not compromise on a respectable number of seats allocated to our party," he said. Sources in BJP suggest Paswan wants 40 seats but the alliance may not be in a position to part with more than 20 seats.

The current arrangement underscores the continuing centrality of the JD(U)-BJP axis in the NDA’s Bihar strategy, even as the alliance’s composition evolves. Political observers note that despite occasional strains, JD(U) and the BJP remain indispensable to each other in the state’s electoral arithmetic.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to hold meetings with key leaders from all districts of Bihar on September 24 and 25 for candidate selection. During the two-day meeting, state president Dilip Jaiswal will get an overall sense of the organisation as well as which seats allies are not ready to part with, come what may. Official seat-sharing talks among NDA partners will take place only after October 3. Sources say, once the bigger parties are finalised, seat allocations for smaller allies will take place.

News elections Bihar Polls: JD(U) Bags 102, BJP Gets 101 As NDA's Seat-Sharing Talks Near Final Stage | Exclusive

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