Bihar elections: BJP’s big bet on Chirag sparks unease; will NDA’s unity test turn into a crisis?

NEW DELHI: Even after finalising the seat-sharing deal, the BJP-led NDA appears on shaky ground in Bihar. What seemed like a smooth arrangement has exposed growing unease among allies. The source of the unease, many believe, is the NDA’s youngest ally — Chirag Paswan.

While most of the seats were amicably agreed upon, and differences over numbers were ironed out, the problem presumably began with the BJP going an extra mile to favour Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, who has proven vote-pulling power among Dalits and his spotless 5/5 record in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.


In the seat-sharing deal, Chirag Paswan's party bagged 29 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, far outpacing allies like Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP, who got just six seats each.

Chirag's 29-seat haul might not have stirred the NDA waters if only the BJP, usually the junior partner to JD(U) in Bihar, hadn’t landed the same number of seats as Nitish Kumar’s party.

Chirag’s seat claims stir JD(U) unease

The 101-101 seat deal between the BJP and JD(U) seemed smooth in Patna until Chirag Paswan’s party reportedly staked claims over constituencies seen by CM Nitish Kumar as his strongholds.

Amid murmurs of discontent, BJP on Tuesday announced candidates for 71 seats, while HAM declared six. JD(U) quietly began allotting symbols without formally naming candidates, a pattern mirrored by Chirag and Upendra Kushwaha’s parties, highlighting the ongoing tug-of-war within the NDA.

Reports suggest Nitish was unhappy with the constituencies earmarked for Chirag and Kushwaha, a sentiment shared by former Dinara MLA and minister Jay Singh, who quit JD(U) in protest over the seat given to RLM.

This is not the first time Chirag’s party has shaken the NDA. In 2020, it walked out after its seat-share demands were ignored, particularly by JD(U). Contesting 135 seats, Paswan’s party won just one, yet it inflicted a heavy blow on Nitish by defeating JD(U) candidates in more than two dozen constituencies, chipping away at the chief minister’s political weight.

Kushwaha voices discontent, heads to Delhi

BJP's bet on Chirag has not only upset the JD(U) but also Upendra Kushwaha, who was already miffed for being allotted only six seats.

While it’s unclear which seat upset Upendra Kushwaha, his remarks on Wednesday suggest tensions flared only after the seat allocation. Heading to Delhi, he said, “There needs to be some rethinking on the decisions being made in the NDA. I am going to Delhi to hold talks on the same. I’m hopeful that everything will be fine,” as he prepared to meet Union home minister Amit Shah.

What's next for NDA?

With seat-sharing done, the NDA may have thought the hard work was over, but BJP’s push to favour Chirag Paswan has exposed cracks in the alliance. From Nitish Kumar’s unease over his strongholds to Kushwaha’s looming dissatisfaction, the coalition is navigating a delicate balancing act.

With discontent simmering and Nitish’s silence fuelling speculation, the coming days will test whether the NDA can patch up its internal rifts or head into the Bihar polls as a divided house.

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