Equal share for BJP, JDU in Bihar 2025; Chirag returns to NDA
The NDA has redrawn its political map in Bihar ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. The BJP and JDU will contest an equal number of seats, signaling a shift in power balance within the ruling alliance. The change comes as Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) officially joins the NDA fold, reshaping the seat arithmetic.
JDU working national president Sanjay Kumar Jha shared the seat-sharing formula on X. The alliance has divided Bihar’s 243 assembly seats as follows: JDU – 101, BJP – 101, LJP(RV) – 29, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) – 6, and Hindustani Awam Party (Secular) or HAM(S) – 6. “Leaders and workers of all NDA parties welcome this with joy and unity. Together, we will make Nitish Kumar chief minister again with a massive majority,” Jha wrote.
This announcement marks a major adjustment for both the BJP and JDU. Nitish Kumar’s party contested 115 seats in 2020, while the BJP fielded candidates in 110. Now, both sides have scaled down to ensure space for Chirag Paswan’s return. His inclusion restores ties that broke before the 2020 polls, when he rebelled against the JDU despite claiming support for the BJP.
Back then, the LJP contested 135 seats on its own, positioning itself as a pro-BJP but anti-JDU force. The VIP, another NDA ally at the time, fought on 11 seats, while HAM(S) got seven. The political scene has evolved since then. Both Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM(S) and Chirag Paswan now hold ministerial posts in the Modi government after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Their inclusion adds heft to the NDA’s caste and community outreach strategy in Bihar.
The NDA’s message is clear—unity first, competition later. The equal division between JDU and BJP also signals that both parties want to avoid friction seen in past elections. Nitish Kumar’s leadership remains the alliance’s central pillar, while the BJP ensures its grassroots presence stays strong.
Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the RJD and Congress, has yet to reveal its seat-sharing formula. The coalition faces the challenge of countering the NDA’s show of unity.
Bihar will vote in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. As the campaign gears up, the NDA hopes its renewed balance and inclusiveness will translate into another term for Nitish Kumar at the helm.
