Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday morning in a meeting widely seen as a significant political development ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Shah, who arrived in Patna late on Wednesday, is scheduled to participate in several events across the state.
The leaders of Bihar’s two largest NDA constituents were joined by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaishwal, state minister Vijay Choudhary, and JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha. The meeting, held at a hotel in the state capital, reportedly focused on resolving disputes over seat-sharing among alliance partners.
The NDA has yet to finalise seat allocations. Sources suggest the JD(U) is likely to contest 102–103 seats and the BJP 101–102. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) under Chirag Paswan may secure 25–28 seats, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) 6–7, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha 4–5. Paswan had reportedly sought more than 40 seats but is expected to compromise as the BJP and JD(U) remain firm on numbers.
A major announcement from the NDA regarding seat-sharing is expected in the first week of October. Top leaders of the BJP and JD(U) are likely to finalise the arrangements after consulting with other alliance partners.
In the 2020 elections, the NDA won 125 of 243 seats, with the BJP securing 74 and the JD(U) 43. HAM-Secular won seven seats, while the Vikasheel Insaan Party contested 11. This year, the NDA has expanded to include parties led by Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha, following the exit of Sahni. Analysts suggest the meeting between Shah and Nitish is key to devising a strategy aimed at improving on the alliance’s 2020 performance.
