(Image source from: Indiatoday.in)
As Bihar prepares for the Assembly elections in 2025, reports indicate that the BJP and JDU are getting ready to compete for the same number of seats, splitting a total of 205 seats between them. Discussions about how to share these seats are ongoing, and the exact number of seats each party will claim is still being worked out. The leftover 38 seats are expected to be allocated to smaller partners of the NDA — the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLM). It is said that the BJP has proposed 25 seats to LJP leader Chirag Paswan, seven seats to HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, and six seats to Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM. Ongoing talks with Chirag Paswan indicate that he is looking for favored areas for his party members. If Paswan ends up with more seats, it might mean fewer seats for Manjhi and Kushwaha.
Reports suggest that if the smaller partners end up with fewer seats, the BJP could offer them alternative positions in the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council. The Election Commission of India announced the timeline for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections on Monday, scheduled to take place in two parts: on November 6 and November 11, with the results set to be revealed on November 14. The term for the 243-member Bihar Assembly concludes on November 22, making this election essential for a smooth power shift. More than 7.4 crore voters, including about 14 lakh first-time voters, are eligible to vote. The first phase encompasses 121 areas in central Bihar, taking into account rural and flood-afflicted regions, while the second phase comprises 122 constituencies, mainly located in border areas.
The ruling NDA, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU and backed by the BJP, aims to secure its position, whereas the opposition Mahagathbandhan, which includes RJD, Congress, and Left parties, intends to contest the coalition. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) plans to compete in all 243 seats, marking its first entry into Bihar’s political landscape. Important factors affecting the election include the 33% votes from the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), which have mostly supported the NDA but are now also being pursued by the opposition, the increasing number of female voters, and developments in infrastructure across northern Bihar, which have shaped the timing of the elections.
