BJP to vie for 17 seats, JD(U) 16, Chirag’s LJP 5
New Delhi: After issuing two candidate lists for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, slated to occur next month, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finalised the seat-sharing agreement with its coalition partners in Bihar. On Tuesday, the BJP declared that it would vie for 17 out of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.
In contrast, the Janata Dal (United) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will vie for 16 seats, while Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field candidates in 5 Lok Sabha constituencies. Additionally, Jitan Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha have each been allocated one seat to contest in the upcoming elections.
All these political parties are part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). BJP will contest from West Champaran, East Champaran, Aurangabad, Madhubani, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Ujiarpur, Begusarai, Nawada, Patna Sahib, Patiliputra, Ara, Buxara and Sasaram. JDU from Valmikinagar, Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katiyar, Purnia, Madhepura, Gopalganj, Siwan, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Nalanda, Jehanabad and Sheohar.
Whereas, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas): The five seats to be contested by LJP (Ram Vilas) are Vaishali, Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria and Jamui.
Hindustani Awam Morcha will contest the Gaya seat and Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest the Karakat seat.
Meanwhile, experts feel that Bihar’s electoral landscape is complex, with caste-based considerations playing a significant role. The BJP recognizes the importance of alliances. Keeping Chirag Paswan and the LJP within the NDA fold strengthens the coalition’s electoral prospects by leveraging the LJP’s support base.
Further, in Bihar’s fiercely competitive political landscape, thwarting the consolidation of opposition parties is a vital aspect of the BJP’s electoral strategy. By maintaining the LJP’s alliance within the NDA fold, the BJP diminishes the prospects of opposition parties forging a united front against them.
Earlier this year, JD(U) ended its alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to align with the BJP and NDA. Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for an unprecedented ninth term on January 28, accompanied by three BJP leaders who took oath as ministers. Conversely, the Chief Minister of Bihar and the leader of Janata Dal (United) is well-versed in navigating negotiations with different parties throughout his extensive career, which has been characterised by shifts in alliances.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP aim to win 370 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats, the negotiation in Bihar will also benefit the ruling regime and the BJP decided to reestablish communication with its former ally partly due to an internal survey revealing that the NDA’s projected seat count in the state would likely be below 25 this time.
In 2019, with JD(U) as a coalition partner, the NDA secured victory in 39 out of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats.
The seat-sharing agreement in Bihar was announced shortly after the Election Commission of India released the comprehensive schedule for the Lok Sabha polls. The EC declared that the general elections would be conducted in seven phases, commencing on April 19 to June 1. Apart from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar stands as the sole state scheduled to hold polls in all seven phases of the general elections.
The first phase of voting, on April 19, will witness the constituents of Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, and Jamui exercising their right to elect their representatives to the Lok Sabha. The second phase, on April 26 will witness voting in five constituencies in Bihar- Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur, and Banka.
The third phase, on May 7 will witness voting in Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, and Khagaria. The fourth phase will witness voting in Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai, and Munger on May 13.
The fifth phase on May 20 will witness voting with Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran, and Hajipur constituencies in Bihar participating in the electoral process. The sixth phase of the general elections on May 25 will witness voting in eight constituencies of Bihar- Valmiki Nagar, Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan, and Maharajganj.
Last, the seventh phase on June 1 will witness voting in the remaining eight constituencies- Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat, and Jahanabad.
