BJP one up on JD(U) in Bihar seat deal; keeps 17, leaves 16 for Nitish

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, March 18

The BJP’s political dominance in Bihar was evident on Monday as it sealed the pre-Lok Sabha election pact with its National Democratic Alliance partners, bagging more seats than former senior partner JD(U) for the first time.

The BJP will contest 17 of the state’s 40 LS segments, JD(U) 16, Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party faction 5; former Bihar CM Jitam Ram Manjhi-led HAM and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Manch one each.

A first for saffron party

• A first for BJP as it gets more seats than NDA ally JD(U)
• Partners mostly retain what they won in 2019 polls
• BJP takes Nawada from quota of Chirag Paswan-led LJP
• JD(U) gets BJP’s Sheohar, sacrifices 2 for HAM, RLM
• Nitish Kumar in Delhi, to meet BJP top brass today

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and JD(U) had contested 17 seats each and the undivided LJP, headed by late Ram Vilas Paswan, 6.

The NDA had then won 39 of the 40 seats in Bihar after the BJP and LJP swept their seats, while the JD (U) bagged 16 of 17 seats. The Congress won its lone seat, Kishanganj, in the state, with Mohammad Jawed beating JD(U). This time too, the seat is in JD(U)’s kitty.

In the NDA seat-sharing deal announced jointly by partners here today, there was nothing for Union Minister and Ram Vilas Paswan’s brother Pashupati Paras-led LJP faction.

Chirag is likely to contest from the Hajipur SC seat, which his uncle represents in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Chirag is currently Jamui (reserved) MP.

Importantly, the BJP has given the Sheohar seat to the JD(U), which sacrificed Gaya and Karakat (won by the BJP ally in 2019) for new NDA allies HAM and RLM. Both HAM and RLM were part of Mahagathbandhan in 2019.

Nitish is likely to field Lovely Anand, the wife of former gangster-turned-MP Anand Mohan and mother of Chetan Anand, the RJD MLA who had sided with the JD(U) in the recent vote of confidence. Former RJD leader Lovely Anand joined the JD (U) in Patna on Monday. From the LJP quota, the BJP has this time taken Nawada.

“We will win all 40 seats in Bihar,” BJP national general secretary for state Vinod Tawde said today announcing the agreement. He was joined by JD(U) national general secretary and RS MP Sanjay Jha, Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Chowdhary, LJP state chief Raju Tiwari and HAM state chief Rajneesh Kumar. “In 2019, barring two, the NDA partners had more than 2 lakh winning margins in all seats. We will win all 40 this time,” Jha said.

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