National Democratic Alliance.
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Bihar on March 2, the list of 195 candidates of Bharatiya Janata Party was released with him. Today again PM Modi is in Bihar and the possibility of releasing the second list of BJP is being expressed. But, even if this happens, BJP may release its candidates for 17 seats in Bihar on Thursday. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is again sharing the stage with PM Modi on Wednesday. After that he will leave for Delhi at around five in the evening. There, he is likely to face his arch rival Chirag Paswan in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting on Thursday. Leaders of other constituent parties will also be present in this meeting. Meaning, if all goes well, seat sharing will be finalized on Thursday.
CM Nitish is going abroad, will finalize the seat first
When Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was with the Grand Alliance, since June he was demanding to finalize the seat sharing formula and party seats. Ever since he came back to NDA on January 28, it was believed that seat distribution would happen soon. But, the way Lok Janshakti Party MP Chirag Paswan has kept distance from CM Nitish Kumar and the way both are uncomfortable with each other, the seat sharing was bound to get stuck. Due to seat distribution, BJP’s Legislative Council candidates are not being decided and Bihar’s cabinet expansion is also stuck. After Prime Minister Modi’s meeting in Bettiah, CM Nitish Kumar will leave for Delhi. From there he will go to England. In England, Nitish will visit the Science City and will also attend some functions of NRIs. Nitish is also going to Scotland. Therefore, before the England-Scotland tour, he is also going to Delhi in a manner to decide on the seats.
BJP will take 17, JDU may suffer some loss
During the meeting of the core committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday night, the party’s state president Samrat Chaudhary clearly said that he is sitting to discuss his 17 seats. Union Ministers, Lok Sabha-Rajya Sabha MPs, Assembly Speaker and some MLAs were also present in this meeting. BJP had fielded candidates on 17 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and won all of them. Therefore, this time also he is not in any doubt about 17 seats. Of the remaining 23 seats, last time Janata Dal United had given candidates for 17 and Lok Janshakti Party for six. LJP had won all six, while JDU had to face defeat on one seat. This time LJP has two factions in NDA. The officer of one piece is MP Chirag Paswan and the one responsible for the other is Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras. Both are counting their seats separately. There is also a conflict between the two regarding Hajipur seat. Considering both together, how many seats BJP will give to LJP will depend on the insistence or convenience of Upendra Kushwaha’s party Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular. Kushwaha has been a Union Minister, so he can make a deal for the Assembly while being satisfied with taking one seat for himself. Similarly, if Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son has joined the Legislative Council, it would not be surprising if he makes a deal for himself on a seat or a post like Governor. In such a situation, by giving 16 seats to JDU, LJP can get the same six seats.