BJP and LJP Finalize 25-26 Seat Deal for Bihar Elections After Intense Negotiations

Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan (File).

The BJP and Chirag Paswan have finalized a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar election, according to sources. Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party has reportedly agreed to accept 25-26 seats, significantly fewer than their initial demand of 40 seats. The agreement also includes concessions regarding the implementation of the 'Bihar first, Bihari first' agenda and assurances of 'due respect' at all governmental levels.

Neither party has released an official statement confirming the details yet.

Extensive discussions took place throughout yesterday, with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai working to bridge the gap between the LJP's demands and BJP's offers. Chirag Paswan had indicated that these talks concluded on a positive note and were in the 'final stage' of negotiations.

Despite the outward appearance of progress, tensions have reportedly been mounting between the parties. The BJP is eager to conclude seat-sharing talks to focus on campaign efforts for the election beginning November 6, while Paswan has been reluctant to reduce his seat demands.

Sources indicate that Paswan, who aims to expand his political presence in Bihar with potential aspirations for the chief minister's position either now or in five years, remains dissatisfied with the BJP's proposal.

The LJP leader believes his party deserves seat allocations based on the same formula reportedly applied to other alliance partners – approximately eight Assembly seats for each Lok Sabha seat held.

Both the BJP and JDU currently have 12 MPs each from Bihar, translating to approximately 96 Assembly seats each, which will reportedly be rounded up to 100. By this calculation, the LJP should receive around 40 seats, as Paswan has five Lok Sabha MPs with a 100 percent success rate.

However, the current offer of 25 seats equates to only five Assembly constituencies per MP. There are suggestions of a potential compromise at approximately 30 seats.

Beyond seat allocation, a senior LJP leader expressed concern about the slow pace of negotiations, noting that nomination deadlines are just a week away on October 17.

As negotiations continue, Paswan, who also serves as Union Food Processing Minister, appears increasingly unsettled. On Thursday morning, when questioned about seat-sharing progress, he remarked that he would fulfill his ministerial duties as long as he holds the position.

This statement fueled speculation about Paswan potentially resigning to increase pressure on the BJP. If this was his strategy, it appears to have been effective. The BJP promptly sent Nityanand Rai to Patna, who first met with Paswan's mother at the family residence before meeting with the LJP leader himself.

Sources suggest that while Paswan seemed somewhat appeased after this meeting, his fundamental demands remain unchanged.

Paswan's negotiation tactics have reportedly included exploring potential collaboration with poll strategist Prashant Kishor and his emerging Jan Suraaj party. However, Kishor himself quickly dismissed this possibility.

BJP sources have expressed confidence that an agreement will eventually be reached, emphasizing that Chirag Paswan is a strong supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will ultimately accept the terms.

The LJP's parliamentary board meeting scheduled for today has been postponed and will likely take place tomorrow, when a final decision is expected.