Lok Sabha elections 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to offer 14 seats to Nitish Kumar-led JDU in Bihar and six among Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Paras, who once belonged to the same party and later split into two, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, sources said on Tuesday (March 5). The BJP, the bigger party among all of them, may contest in 17 seats, they added. The Election Committee meeting of the BJP was held in the state capital to brainstorm over the seat sharing formula among the NDA partners.
Several leaders attended the meeting including Nityanand Rai, Giriraj Singh, Sushil Modi, Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Sinha, Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde, Radha Mohan Singh, Nagendra Kumar, Tarkishore Prasad, Nandkishore Yadav, Dharamshila Gupta, Prem Kumar, Janak Ram, Prem Ranjan Patel.
Talking about the meeting, State BJP chief and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said, “The election committee’s meeting was held. Complete information will be given in detail. We are considering the 17 seats that we have.”
NDA allies in Bihar in 2019 vs 2024
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP, JDU and Chirag Paswan’s LJP were a part of the NDA. However, this time in 2024, besides BJP and JDU, there are parties belonging to Upendra Kushwaha (Rashtriya Lok Samta Party) and Jitan Ram Manjhi (Hindustani Awam Morcha), and two separate parties of the Lok Janshakti Party, one led by Pashupati Paras and the other by Chirag Paswan who floated Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) following a dispute with his uncle.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had 17 sitting MPs and JDU 16. However, in 2024, Kushwaha, Manjhi and two factions of LJP are new additions to the NDA.
Seat-sharing formula likely in NDA in Bihar:
- BJP - 17
- JDU - 14
- Upendra Kushwaha - 1
- Manjhi (HAM) -1
- Chirag+Pashupati Paras - 6
Talks are also being held with Mukesh Sahni, sources said.
“If talks have results, Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) may be given 1 seat,” sources said.
Apart from 14 seats in Bihar, JDU is demanding Chatra seat in Jharkhand and Phulpur seat in UP. Talks in the seats are underway.
“This time, some of the seats divided between BJP and JDU in NDA in 2019 may also be exchanged. This time BJP also wants to contest the Kishanganj seat,” sources said.
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