Bihar Assembly Elections: NDA, INDIA Bloc go into overdrive in Patna over seats, candidates

As the October 17 deadline for filing nominations in the first phase approaches, the NDA and the INDIA bloc held a flurry of meetings in Patna on Thursday to thrash out seat-sharing arrangements and finalise candidates ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.

The day started with JDU leaders meeting at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's residence discussing the seat sharing and candidates in the morning. Sources tell ET that Kumar instructed the party leaders to finalise the candidates for the first phase of elections. He instructed JDU working president Sanjay Jha to announce the candidates on the seats which JDU is sure to fight in the first phase. Kumar also deputed state minister Vijay Choudhary to discuss the seat sharing with BJP and finalise the seats and candidates and also look at the election activities on party's behalf.

With LJP (RV) in the alliance, chances are a few of seats that JDU contested in 2020 are likely to go to LJP (RV). However, the JDU leaders agreed that the party will not budge on seats where JDU has a sitting MLA.


Sources tell ET that Chirag Paswan has staked claim to JDU seats such as Matihani, Chakai and a few others.

In Patna, LJP (RV) leader Chirag Paswan held an emergency meeting with party leaders and seat distribution was discussed at length. Sources tell ET that LJP leaders agreed that the party should get seats in the regions where it has a strong voter and influence base. LJP has staked claim to several seats which are currently held by other NDA partners like JDU, BJP and HAM.

LJP wants to contest on Govindganj seat, where BJP has a sitting MLA. The party also wants Sikandra seat where Praful Manjhi is the sitting HAM (S) MLA. The party also wants Mahua and Rajapakad seat in Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency.

In the INDIA alliance, Congress leaders met RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in the evening to discuss the seat distribution. This time, Congress wants to exchange several seats it contested in alliance in 2020.