New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday announced its seat-sharing formula for the Bihar assembly elections, sending out the message that neither the JD(U) nor the BJP will act as the “big brother”, with both parties contesting an equal number of seats.
The two main constituents of the ruling bloc will contest 101 seats each, while Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas), which sources said had been demanding 40 seats, will contest on 29. Two other NDA allies—the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)—will contest six each.
The NDA’s formula for contesting the polls to the 243-seat assembly was announced by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan after days of negotiations among parties in Delhi.
“We, the NDA allies, have completed the distribution of seats in a cordial atmosphere. All workers and leaders of NDA parties warmly welcome this. Bihar is ready to form an NDA government once again,” said Pradhan.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is hoping for a comeback with the BJP.
JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha posted on X, “All NDA leaders and workers warmly welcome this and are united and determined to make Chief Minister @NitishKumar the CM once again with a thumping majority. Bihar is ready, NDA government once again!”
Chirag Paswan also welcomed the seat-sharing formula. “Bihar is ready — Once again an NDA government, This time with full strength alongside #BiharFirstBihariFirst!”.
Said a senior BJP leader, “The elections are quite crucial for the NDA and hence the bloc wants to send out a message of unity and balance of power within the coalition. Special care has been taken that there is no scope for friction within the alliance and the entire narrative of big brother doesn’t affect the morale of the party workers too.”
हम एनडीए के साथियों ने सौहार्दपूर्ण वातावरण में सीटों का वितरण पूर्ण किया।
BJP – 101
JDU – 101
LJP (R) – 29
RLM – 06
HAM – 06
एनडीए के सभी दलों के कार्यकर्ता और नेता इसका हर्षपूर्वक स्वागत करते हैं।
बिहार है तैयार,
फिर से एनडीए सरकार।#NDA4Bihar ✌️
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 12, 2025
Sources said the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) was demanding at least 15 seats, but it got six.
Party leader and Union Minister and Hindustan Jitan Ram Manjhi said, “In the Parliament, we were given only one seat, were we upset? Similarly, if we got only six seats, it is the decision of the high command. We accept it… We are content with what we have been given. I have no complaints…”
Earlier in the day, Manjhi wrote on X, “I am heading to Patna now…By the way, let me tell you something I’ve said before and I’m saying again today…I, Jitan Ram Manjhi, will stand with the Honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi ji until my last breath. There will be prosperity in Bihar, With Nitish, Modi ji’s government will be there.”
In the 2020 assembly polls, the JD(U) had contested 115 seats and the BJP 110. Paswan had contested the elections separately.
In the polls held amid COVID-19 restrictions, the NDA secured 117 seats and formed a government in Bihar. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats.
As for Lok Sabha elections, the BJP contested 17 seats, while the JD(U) 16 in 2024, sending out the message that the BJP was the ‘big brother’ in the alliance. In 2019, the BJP and the JD (U) had contested 17 seats each.
The assembly elections in Bihar will be held in two phases on 6 and 11 November.
The upcoming Bihar election will see a new entrant—the Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party (JSP). For the party, this will be the first major electoral test. PK has aggressively been campaigning for his party, accusing several BJP and JD(U) leaders of corruption.
This time around, the contest is likely to be triangular, with the NDA, the INDIA bloc, and Prashant Kishor’s JSP looking to form the government.
For the upcoming assembly elections, the NDA will rely on developmental works and welfare schemes. Just ahead of the announcement of election dates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana—a Bihar government initiative under which 7.5 million women will get Rs 10,000 each for starting ventures of their own. The BJP is hopeful that women electorate will once again vote for it in large numbers.
The INDIA bloc is expected to announce its seat-sharing soon too.
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