Bihar NDA seat-sharing: BJP likely to keep lion’s share of 30 Lok Sabha seats, spare 10 for its four allies | Patna News
PATNA: Even though the seat-sharing deal has not been finalized in the NDA, the BJP is most likely to keep a lion’s share of 30 plus seats with itself to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls while the remaining seats are to be distributed among its allies, such as both factions of the erstwhile LJP, Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), informed sources said on Tuesday.
Reports added the NDA has still not closed its door for Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) headed by Mukesh Sahani who holds considerable hold over the fishermen votes.
A top source in the BJP said in any case the party would contest at least 30 out of the state’s total 40 LS seats. During the 2014 LS polls as well, the party had contested elections on 30 seats and managed to win 22 of them although the NDA won a total of 31 seats. The JD(U) which had gone it alone in the elections had managed to win two seats only after contesting 38.
In the 2019 LS polls, both the BJP and JD(U) had fought elections together, contesting 17 seats each, leaving six for Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP. In the end, the NDA managed to make a clean sweep, bagging 39 seats out of the total 40. While the BJP won all the 17 seats, the JD(U) emerged victorious on 16. The LJP too bagged all the six seats it had contested.
Now with the JD(U) not being a part of the NDA, the BJP is again set to field its candidates on majority of seats, hoping to cash in upon the “popularity” of PM Narendra Modi and his “guarantee cards” that saw the party bounce back to power in three key Hind heartland states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh after recent assembly elections. However, the BJP is willing to spare at least 10 seats for its allies.
A senior BJP official said both factions of erstwhile LJP—one headed by union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and the other by Jamui MP Chirag Paswan, could be given four seats although one more could be added to their share in case they didn’t relent. In the last LS polls, the LJP was spared six seats.
Similarly, the BJP could spare a maximum of two seats to RLJD and one seat to HAM(S), informed sources said adding the BJP could also consider giving Karakat seat to Kushwaha and Gaya seat to Manjhi’s HAM-S. “Gaya has been our traditional seat, yet we are willing to spare it for HAM-S respecting its wishes,” a senior BJP leader said. Kushwaha and Manjhi are the new entrants to the NDA post Nitish dumping the ruling national alliance in August 2022.
Curiously, the RLJD claims to have been preparing for at least eight seats which include Karakat, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Valmiki Nagar, Supaul, Jhanjharpur, Jehanabad and Munger. “We hope to get at least three seats, the number of seats we got in 2014,” RLJD spokesperson Ram Pukar Sinha said. Similarly, Manjhi’s party had quit the Grand Alliance over the issue of seats when it went public staking claims for at least five seats to contest.
Sources in the BJP also said the party is still “hopeful” of getting Sahani on board and has not closed its door for him. “Doors are not closed for him (Sahani). Possibilities are still open although it depends on him,” a senior BJP leader said on Tuesday.
In the 2014 LS polls, the BJP had emerged victorious on 22 seats which included Ara, Aurangabad, Begusarai, Buxur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Jhanjharpur, Madhubani, Maharajganj, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, West Champaran, Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Gopalganj, East Champaran, Saran, Sasaram, Sheohar, Siwan, Ujiarpur and Valmiki Nagar.
Reports added the NDA has still not closed its door for Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) headed by Mukesh Sahani who holds considerable hold over the fishermen votes.
A top source in the BJP said in any case the party would contest at least 30 out of the state’s total 40 LS seats. During the 2014 LS polls as well, the party had contested elections on 30 seats and managed to win 22 of them although the NDA won a total of 31 seats. The JD(U) which had gone it alone in the elections had managed to win two seats only after contesting 38.
In the 2019 LS polls, both the BJP and JD(U) had fought elections together, contesting 17 seats each, leaving six for Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP. In the end, the NDA managed to make a clean sweep, bagging 39 seats out of the total 40. While the BJP won all the 17 seats, the JD(U) emerged victorious on 16. The LJP too bagged all the six seats it had contested.
Now with the JD(U) not being a part of the NDA, the BJP is again set to field its candidates on majority of seats, hoping to cash in upon the “popularity” of PM Narendra Modi and his “guarantee cards” that saw the party bounce back to power in three key Hind heartland states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh after recent assembly elections. However, the BJP is willing to spare at least 10 seats for its allies.
A senior BJP official said both factions of erstwhile LJP—one headed by union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and the other by Jamui MP Chirag Paswan, could be given four seats although one more could be added to their share in case they didn’t relent. In the last LS polls, the LJP was spared six seats.
Similarly, the BJP could spare a maximum of two seats to RLJD and one seat to HAM(S), informed sources said adding the BJP could also consider giving Karakat seat to Kushwaha and Gaya seat to Manjhi’s HAM-S. “Gaya has been our traditional seat, yet we are willing to spare it for HAM-S respecting its wishes,” a senior BJP leader said. Kushwaha and Manjhi are the new entrants to the NDA post Nitish dumping the ruling national alliance in August 2022.
Curiously, the RLJD claims to have been preparing for at least eight seats which include Karakat, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Valmiki Nagar, Supaul, Jhanjharpur, Jehanabad and Munger. “We hope to get at least three seats, the number of seats we got in 2014,” RLJD spokesperson Ram Pukar Sinha said. Similarly, Manjhi’s party had quit the Grand Alliance over the issue of seats when it went public staking claims for at least five seats to contest.
Sources in the BJP also said the party is still “hopeful” of getting Sahani on board and has not closed its door for him. “Doors are not closed for him (Sahani). Possibilities are still open although it depends on him,” a senior BJP leader said on Tuesday.
In the 2014 LS polls, the BJP had emerged victorious on 22 seats which included Ara, Aurangabad, Begusarai, Buxur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Jhanjharpur, Madhubani, Maharajganj, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, West Champaran, Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Gopalganj, East Champaran, Saran, Sasaram, Sheohar, Siwan, Ujiarpur and Valmiki Nagar.