Patna: In a strategic move gearing up for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its plan to contest 17 seats in Bihar, leaving 16 for its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally, Janata Dal (United) (JDU). This declaration was made by BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde on Monday.
Accompanied by this announcement is the allocation of five seats to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Chirag Paswan. Tawde’s statement, relayed through ANI, underscores the intricate seat-sharing arrangement within the NDA coalition: “BJP will contest on 17 seats, JDU on 16 seats, LJP (Ram Vilas) on 5 seats, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha on one seat each…”
Echoing the sentiment of alliance strength, Raju Tiwari, Bihar state president of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), expressed confidence during the briefing: “Five seats have been given to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The NDA will win all 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar.”
The reintegration of JD(U) under the leadership of Nitish Kumar into the NDA fold, following a 17-month hiatus, adds a layer of significance to this electoral calculus. Nitish’s return in January represents a notable realignment in Bihar politics, particularly considering his prior alliance with Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Addressing a recent NDA rally in Aurangabad, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitish reaffirmed his commitment to the coalition, declaring, “…You (PM Modi) had come earlier as well, ‘par idhar hum gayab ho gaye the. Hum phir aapke saath hai (I disappeared (from NDA) for some time but now I am with you). I assure you that I will not go here and there. ‘Hum rahenge aap hi ke saath‘…”
The context of the forthcoming elections gains resonance against the backdrop of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where both BJP and JD(U) contested on 17 seats each, leading the NDA to secure a landslide victory, clinching 39 out of 40 seats in the state. However, Nitish’s subsequent departure from the BJP in 2022 to briefly align with the RJD underscores the fluidity of political alliances in Bihar.
With the Election Commission announcing polling in Bihar to be conducted in seven phases spanning from April 19 to June 1, and vote counting scheduled for June 4, the stage is set for a keenly contested electoral battle that could reshape the political landscape of the state.
