Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections now officially scheduled for November 6 and 11, political activity in the state has reached a fever pitch. In the latest development, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened an important meeting of senior Janata Dal (United) leaders at the party office in Patna on Monday, a move seen as pivotal ahead of the NDA’s long-awaited seat-sharing announcement.
The meeting, attended by JD (U) acting national president Sanjay Kumar Jha, focused on fine-tuning the party’s organizational structure, campaign strategy, and candidate selection process. While the Election Commission of India has set November 14 for vote counting, the ruling alliance has yet to announce how seats will be distributed among its partners — the JD (U), BJP, HAM-S, and LJP (Ram Vilas).
According to sources, Nitish Kumar is likely to discuss the seat-sharing formula with top party leaders before taking it up with NDA allies. Speculation within party circles suggests that the JDU could contest 100 to 105 seats, while the BJP may contest a similar number. In the 2020 Bihar elections, the JDU had fielded candidates in 115 constituencies, and the BJP in 110.
Party insiders also said the meeting may finalise a preliminary list of candidates, which could later be reviewed after discussions with alliance partners. A senior JD (U) leader said, “The Chief Minister is personally reviewing constituencies and assessing ground reports before deciding candidates.”
Following the Election Commission’s announcement of poll dates, JD (U) state president Umesh Kushwaha had claimed that the NDA’s seat-sharing agreement had “already been finalised” and that an official announcement would be made “soon.”
