In a very significant as well as on an interesting note, the BJP on Monday sealed the Lok Sabha seat sharing with its partners in NDA, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) and amplifying the base of Chirag Paswan-led LJP faction while completely downsizing the LJP-led by Union Minister Pashupati Paras Paswan.
Sources said Paras may quit the Modi Cabinet in a couple of days and either may contest Lok Sabha as an independent candidate or join the RJD-Congress led INDIA Bloc.
As per the announcement by Bihar NDA partners, the BJP will contest 17 constituencies, the JD(U) 16 and Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) five, while Pashupati’s LJP was left with nil. Two other NDA allies — Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha — will contest one seat each. Vinod Tawde, the BJP’s in-charge for elections in Bihar, announced the seat sharing formula at the BJP headquarters, along with partners of the State. Tawde expressed confidence that the NDA will win all 40 seats in the State. It had bagged 39 seats in 2019. After Nitish returned to the NDA fold recently, the BJP was able to flex itself and contest on more seats than JD(U). In the 2019 Lok Sabha, both parties had contested 17 seats each while the then undivided Lok Janshakti Party headed by Ram Vilas Paswan had fought six. The BJP and the LJP had won all of their seats while the JD(U) had bagged 16.
“The BJP will contest 17 out of the total 40 seats and the JD(U) will contest 16. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest five seats,” Tawde said. Bihar LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Raju Tiwari said Chirag Paswan will contest the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat, which has been given to the party under the seat-sharing pact for the 2024 polls. Paswan’s estranged uncle Paras represents the constituency in the outgoing Lok Sabha and had been pitching his claim over it.
Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary said talks are going on with Paras, who has already expressed displeasure with the national party after it sealed its alliance with Paswan a few days back. Tawde informed the BJP will contest Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Aurangabad, Madhubani, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Ujiyarpur, Begusarai, Nawada, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Buxar and Sasaram.
The JD(U) will field its candidates from Valmikinagar, Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Madhepura, Gopalganj, Siwan, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Nalanda, Jehanabad and Sheohar, he said.
While the LJP (Ram Vilas) will field its candidates from Vaishali, Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria and Jamui Lok Sabha seats, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM will join the fray from the Gaya Lok Sabha seat while the RLM from Karakat. All three main parties have been given the seats they won in 2019 barring a few changes to accommodate two smaller parties.
The Sheohar seat has shifted from the BJP’s quota to the JD(U), while Nawada was obtained from the LJP. The JD(U) ceded its claim on Karakat and Gaya, both of which it won in 2019, to accommodate the two new allies. Sources said Paras who was brought in Modi Cabinet after the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan who held the fort then, successfully broke the LJP by claiming to be the original one while Chirag was ignored.
Acknowledging his success in securing the need of 5/6 seats to contest on Lok Sabha polls, Chirag expressed his happiness that his late father’s legacy has been kept intact and that BJP kept with its commitment to empower him after Nitish realigned with BJP. Sources said Paras can now switch over to the Congress, RJD alliance of INDIA Bloc after resigning from the Cabinet soon.
