As Bihar prepares for Assembly elections, JDU-BJP seat-sharing talks will be pivotal, with JDU aiming to reclaim lost ground.
New Delhi: A few days after Janata Dal United (JDU) sacked its Manipur unit president Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, over alleged indiscipline for unilaterally withdrawing support from the BJP-led Manipur government, political speculation has intensified.
While JDU insiders claim the move was unrelated to Bihar politics, political circles are abuzz with theories that the Nitish Kumar-led party is flexing its muscles ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly Elections.
Party insiders told The Sunday Guardian that internal discussions suggest an increasing strain on their alliance. The sacking of JDU’s Manipur unit president had nothing to do with Bihar elections but did not rule out the disagreements with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on several issues including the Waqf Amendment Bill and University Grants Commission draft regulations.
Both parties are downplaying the differences publicly.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JDU supports the Narendra Modi-led Centre with 13 MPs in the Lok Sabha and is a crucial ally in the NDA but seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar Assembly elections is going to be contentious.
A BJP leader based in Bihar told The Sunday Guardian on the condition of anonymity that, “It is too early to comment on seat sharing discussions”, the party is busy re-energising it’s cadre in Bihar while “all the focus is on creating unity in the alliance with Nitish Kumar to be our CM candidate.”
However, another JDU insider, who wished to remain unnamed, said minor differences are natural in any alliance, adding CM Nitish Kumar is “well aware of all the developments” and is keen on ensuring that JDU retains a strong position in the upcoming elections.
On seat sharing talks, he said that the party is likely to contest on 120-125 seats out of 243 as it did in the 2020 assembly elections. “This is not 2020 as the situations this time are completely different.” He was referring to the post-2020 changes in the political scenario in Bihar. In August 2022, JD(U) severed ties with the NDA and formed a government with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan. Subsequently, in January 2024, JD(U) rejoined the NDA, aligning once again with the BJP.
In the 2020 assembly elections, the BJP won 74 seats, making it the largest party while the JDU suffered losses, securing only 43 seats.
Political analysts believe that the upcoming 2025 Bihar assembly elections could witness a more assertive JDU demanding a better deal in seat-sharing discussions. Given the party’s past grievances and Nitish Kumar’s strategic importance to the NDA, especially after the Lok Sabha elections, the negotiations this time could be tougher than in 2020.
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) are also key players in Bihar (part of NDA) and are looking to expand their base ahead of assembly elections but it will be crucial for the BJP on how it will manage these alliances on seat sharing prospects.