Negotiations over seat distribution within the NDA have hit another snag. Chirag Paswan will not meet with BJP leaders today. According to sources, Chirag plans to leave for Delhi tonight right after returning from Khagaria to Patna. No meeting with BJP leaders has been confirmed.
Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan has reached Patna to meet with Chirag in order to hold a second round of discussions about seat-sharing within the NDA. Pradhan and Vinod Tawde had already met with Chirag in Delhi yesterday.
Chirag not satisfied with BJP's offer
Sources indicate that Chirag Paswan remains unsatisfied with BJP's proposition, which is why today's meeting was not feasible. Reports also suggest that Chirag Paswan has called for an emergency party meeting in Patna on Thursday at 10 a.m.
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LJP in decisive mood
Sources state that Chirag is upset because dates for JD(U) candidate nominations were announced before the official seat-sharing announcement.
LJP convenes emergency meeting in Patna
An emergency meeting has been called at the state office tomorrow at 10 a.m. Arun Bharti, who is in charge of the Bihar election, will preside over the meeting. Chirag will not attend this meeting. All party MPs, state presidents, vice presidents, district in-charges, and key leaders have been called. The meeting aims for LJP leadership to consult key figures before making any major decisions.
No consensus on seat-sharing
It should be noted that seat-sharing within the NDA for the Bihar Assembly elections is a major issue. Disputes over seat alignment between BJP and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) continue to escalate. Chirag's dissatisfaction and stalled negotiations may impact the NDA's strategic plans and electoral equations.
Importantly, MLA Rajesh Verma of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) earlier stated that the party wishes to contest in more than 43 seats. Otherwise, they are comfortable contesting alone as they did in 2020.
In an exclusive conversation with Aaj Tak, MLA Rajesh Verma remarked that in 2020, they contested 136 seats and 43 seats in 2015, so they should receive seats of significance this time.
No issues with contesting alone
His statement clearly indicates that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is claiming at least 43 seats. Addressing the idea of contesting alone, he mentioned they campaigned solo in 2020, indicating they are open to doing the same if necessary.
Seat-sharing formula ready
The seat distribution process for the Bihar Assembly elections appears to be in its final stages within the NDA. Parties such as BJP, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas) are finalizing their seat distributions. BJP and JD(U) are likely to receive over 100 seats each, while Chirag's party can expect a significant share, according to reports.
Sources suggest the BJP has offered Chirag Paswan's party 25 seats, whereas Chirag insists on at least 35 seats. Moreover, BJP has decided to give 7 seats to Jitan Ram Manjhi and 6 to Upendra Kushwaha. On the other hand, Jitan Ram Manjhi has publicly demanded at least 15 seats for the assembly election, further complicating the finalization of seat allocations.
Elections to be held in two phases
The Bihar elections are set to occur in two phases. The first phase of voting will be on November 6th, followed by the second phase on November 11th. The vote counting is scheduled for November 14th.
