Patna: With Bihar’s assembly poll dates announced days ago, the NDA alliance remains locked in a high-stakes tussle over seat allocation, as key allies like Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi dig in their heels for bigger slices.
Amid the frenzy, sources indicate Paswan could settle for 28-30 seats — down from his initial 45-plus demand — but only if BJP sweetens the deal with Rajya Sabha and MLC berths.
The drama unfolded on Thursday when Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, tasked with placating Paswan, arrived at his residence for talks, only to find the young leader had slipped out 15 minutes earlier. Rai met Paswan’s mother instead, quipping, “Chirag’s guardians reside here; I’ve come for their blessings. Who’s saying he’s upset?” Paswan’s party, however, is finalising its stance in an upcoming meeting and staking claims on five hotly contested seats: Lalganj, Danapur, Govindganj, Matihani, and Bakri— most currently held by the BJP or JD(U).
Manjhi, eager to compete, has voiced his “request”— presented as not a demand but a desire — for at least 15 seats, warning that fewer would be “humiliating” for his decade-old party still craving recognition. “With 15, we can clinch 8-9 wins and gain legitimacy,” he urged NDA brass on Wednesday.
As BJP juggles these pressures to unveil a unified formula, the delays risk eroding alliance cohesion. Will Paswan’s caveats clinch the bargain or ignite further fireworks in Bihar’s electoral tinderbox?