- Seat-sharing within NDA for Bihar assembly polls will be announced in Patna
- Chirag Paswan seeks 40-45 seats; BJP offered only 25 to his party
- Paswan has demanded that the number of seats be based on Lok Sabha and Assembly poll performances
The contentious matter of seat-sharing within the NDA alliance for the assembly polls in Bihar is expected to be finalised within the next two to three days, sources have told NDTV. The announcement is likely to be made in Patna, sources said.
An agreement between Chirag Paswan and the BJP is likely to be reached soon. The BJP is currently considering the demands of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader.
Union Minister and the BJP's Bihar poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan and its state in-charge Tawde had met him earlier this morning and a round two is due.
The regional ally of the BJP has been playing hardball. His demand is for 40-45 seats while the BJP is ready to allocate only 25 seats.
Paswan Junior has proposed that the number of seats be allocated to his party on basis of the five Lok Sabha seats it won in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and its performance in the 2020 Assembly elections. The LJP had a 100 per cent strike rate (five contested, five won), in the general election.
He has also requested that at least two assembly seats be allotted within each of the five Lok Sabha constituencies currently held by LJP (Ram Vilas).
Seats have also been requested for senior leaders of the LJP.
BJP leaders have assured Chirag Paswan that his demands will be internally discussed and he will be informed later.
Paswan, meanwhile, has an ace up his sleeve to counter the BJP's tardiness. His party has signalled that an alliance with election strategist-turned politician Prashant Kishor - whose Jan Suraj Party is considered the wild card in this election - cannot be ruled out.
While an actual alliance between the two is unlikely, whether the BJP will buy what is seen as essentially being seen as a pressure tactic is not yet clear.
During the meeting with Paswan, discussions were held not only on the electoral issues in Bihar but also on matters emotionally significant for the party, sources said.
Tomorrow is the death anniversary of Ram Vilas Paswan - founder of the party and the father of Chirag Paswan) and preparations for the occasion were also discussed with the BJP leaders.
